episode_0207

“I’m sorry, what should I do… I came all this way to experience it…”

“No! It’s okay!”

My plan to sneak out of the pool to confront Sharona failed, but I didn’t get caught messing up swim time.

She looked very sorry.

Because before we could even know anything, a sudden accident happened.

He said there were no surveillance cameras installed at the pool, so there was no way to know what happened.

“If only the seat wasn’t empty…”

“Then I’ll go.”

I left the pool, leaving Sharona behind as she looked at the students with a worried expression.

It seemed like a lot of time had passed, but the sun was still shining brightly.

The three of us walked down the hallway in silence.

Swimming club.

I thought it would be pretty good.

Rain seemed to be having a blast too.

Although she appeared to be walking normally, Shine’s breathing was a little ragged.

I walked up to her and gently took her hand.

Shine seemed to already know I was coming, as if her fingers dug between mine the moment our hands touched.

“Where should we go next?”

“Um…”

Shine and I put our heads together and thought.

Where would be good?

“How about the reading club?”

Then, Rain, who had been following behind me, stuck his head next to me and said.

Sun-kissed blond hair falls between her arms and sides.

Rain wrapped his arms around me like a scarf.

Her smile sparkled.

“Reading club?”

“Yeah. Jeff likes reading books.”

“I’m fine, but what about the two of you?”

Reading club.

In fact, it was a name that had been in my head since I first looked at the list of club activities, but it was a club activity that I never talked about because of Rain, who hated reading books, and Shine, who didn’t really enjoy reading books.

I stroked Rain’s head and looked back and forth between Rain and Shine.

They nodded and answered.

“I don’t care if Jeff likes it.”

“Me too!”

I wonder if it’s too geared towards me.

I didn’t like that.

But there didn’t seem to be much of a choice.

We headed to the library to experience the reading club.

The library was very quiet.

The sound of turning pages was all there was to hear.

The children there were so focused that they didn’t even notice us there.

I spoke to the teacher in charge of the reading club and sat down for a while to read the book.

It is an experience of what the reading club usually does.

But it was too quiet.

If I were alone it would be fine, but Rain was the problem.

She opened the book and within five minutes she was asleep, head down on the desk.

Eventually we had no choice but to leave the library.

I tried many other side activities, but there was nothing that really caught my eye.

I thought the swimming club would be a good fit.

We were able to move our bodies moderately, and it seemed like the only side activity that both Shine Lane and I could enjoy.

“I think the swimming club would be good.”

Shine’s expression distorts at my words.

She reached out and squeezed my cheek as if to ask if I really should choose swimming.

“Really? You like swimming?”

“Yeah.”

Still, I nodded.

Rain jumped for joy at my answer.

I patted Lane’s head with a small smile.

She moved her feet wildly, creating small bubbles of water as if she was in a good mood.

“Shine. Let’s join our swimming team.”

Shine shook her head with a displeased expression at my words.

But I knew.

If I keep pushing, she’ll pretend she can’t win and grant my request.

Instead, there is one promise that will be made.

“Rain is also happy like that?”

“Oh, I knew that would happen, so it was good that I brought a swimsuit. Right? Did I do well? It wasn’t weird, was it?”

Rain took out a fluffy, dry swimsuit from his pocket.

Although it was very wrinkled, as she moved her hands, the swimsuit opened up without a single wrinkle.

I had no plans to return to the swim club, but I figured the day would come when I would have to wear that swimsuit again.

I nodded to Rain’s words.

“Okay. But promise me one thing.”

“Yeah.”

Shine put her mouth right next to my ear so that no one around her could hear.

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

“Yeah.”

I nodded.

One promise between Shine and me.

If Shine grants me a favor, I will grant hers too.

It was a bit embarrassing to have to maintain a certain posture, but it was over quickly.

We found the swimming club once again.

This time, he showed his true intention to join.

“Oh, really? Then, can all three of you sign this application form?”

Sharona smiled happily when we returned.

Her eyes scanned my, Shine’s, and Rain’s bodies.

I didn’t feel bad.

Maybe it was because it was a habitual behavior that came with her job.

Shine didn’t react either, as she didn’t feel any particular emotion.

We put our student IDs on the pad Sharona handed us.

Then a message came to my mind asking if I really wanted to join the swimming club.

I pressed accept without hesitation.

“Welcome to the swimming club!”

Sharona was very pleased.

“It’s a group class held once a month, but we basically run the classroom after school, so if you have the interest and time, come visit us!”

Sharona led us to a large chair near the pool.

“Oh. There’s no water.”

Lane, who had been following Sharona, muttered quietly as he looked at the empty pool.

As she said, there wasn’t a single drop of water in the large pool.

Instead of water, people in overalls went inside and cleaned the pool.

“That’s right. I suddenly can’t use the pool water.”

She explained the situation a little while ago.

Children suddenly floating on the water.

There was nothing wrong with my body, but the water was the problem.

I remember the pool turning strange colors as the children floated in the water.

“Did the kids do that?”

“Well, sometimes there are friends like that.”

“Ugh…”

As expected, the right answer was to quickly leave the pool with Rain and Shine.

Judging by Sharona’s reaction, my choice was not wrong.

“So I’m cleaning it up. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can teach you how to swim today.”

Sharona smiled slightly and sat down on the chair.

The moment she sat down, the large watermelon headache hanging from her chest began to throb violently.

I was once again distracted.

Sharona, who had been talking to us, jumped up and ran to the place when she heard the news that the unconscious children had woken up.

Something incredibly large and rippling.

I blankly stared at her back, then looked down at my hands.

“Over there. Rain. Shine.”

“Yeah.”

“Huh?”

“You too, in that pool…”

I muttered blankly and opened my mouth.

The last word was left unfinished and scattered.

But it was clear that both Rain and Shine had an inkling of what I was trying to ask.

“No.”

Shine shook her head firmly.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

This time I turned my gaze to Rain.

She flinched at my gaze and crossed her legs.

“Me neither!”

Is that true?

But I thought it would be better to just let her know that she was right, even if she wasn’t.

I gently touched Rain’s flushed cheek.

“Yeah. I know it’s not Rain.”

In the end, no classes were held that day.

As the extracurricular activities were coming to an end, a strange rumor began to spread among the children who had come to their senses.

Seeing blue in the water makes me feel good.

The rumor that started with blue light, blue light, transformed into a blue fairy.

I watched the rumors change from word of mouth in real time, and I closed my eyes in silence.

It seemed like I’d have to wear a bracelet with an ability suppression function the next time I attended class.

After all the extracurricular activities were over and we said goodbye to Sharona and returned to the fifth grade classroom, Appleton was already there waiting for us.

Appleton, who had been sitting with a deadpan expression, smiled slightly and got up from his seat as soon as he saw me.

“Jeff!”

“Appleton.”

As soon as we sat down, Appleton showed us some of the photos he had taken.

Most of them were landscape photos, but occasionally there were photos of cute students.

There were no more male students in her pictures.

“Which department did the three of you choose?”

“Swimming club.”

Appleton’s eyes widened at my answer.

Her aquamarine eyes sparkle.

“Really? Really?”

“Uh, yeah. Why do you like it so much?”

“That, that’s right. I actually want to take good pictures, but there’s nothing that I really like.”

“So?”

“Could I take a picture of you in a swimsuit…? Of course, if it’s not too much trouble…”

I kept my mouth shut at Appleton’s words.

Is this what this girl felt like?

The two-part hair that resembled a handle was definitely Appleton’s.

I reached out and pulled her hair to the side.

“Ouch-! It hurts-!”

“That’s Appleton.”

“Yeah.”

Appleton was Appleton.

The little girl who had been limping until a few days ago was now very healthy, thanks to the gift I gave her.

“You mean taking pictures?”

“Yeah.”

It was Shine who reacted to the word ‘photo’.

She looked at me with a strange smile, then reached out and took Appleton’s hand.

“Can you come to the swim club after school?”

“Oh. After school? Wait a minute!”

Appleton nodded to Shine’s words, grabbed his phone, and stood up.

I glanced at Appleton’s empty seat, then turned my gaze to Shine.

“Will you stop by the swimming club after school?”

“Yeah. Appleton said he wanted to take a picture.”

“But then Amy would be worried…”

“It’ll be okay if you leave a message. And Appleton is Jeff’s friend, right? Since it’s a favor for a friend, can you do it?”

I think it’ll be okay for a little while, but…

I nodded, fiddling with the phone in my pocket.

Appleton, who had been making time, immediately gathered his things and stood up.

He was stamping his feet and holding the camera in his hand, showing how much he was looking forward to it.

I texted Amy.

He said he might be home about an hour late because of extracurricular activities.

Then Amy gave her permission very readily.

I headed to the swimming club with a shaky expression.

The swimming pool I visited again was very deserted, unlike before.

“The water is back!”

Lane shouted excitedly as he looked at the full pool.

Her voice rang out loud in the empty room.

I looked around while fixing my bag.

Sharona is nowhere to be seen.

I clearly said that classes would be held after school…

“Okay. Let’s change.”

As I was looking around like that, Shine pushed my back and headed towards the changing room.

The locker room we all entered together was also empty.

Rain handed over the swimsuit he had brought earlier.

But here a problem arose.

“Which one is Jeff’s?”

Lane tilted her head, holding a swimsuit of the same size in both hands.

The design and size were the same, so it was impossible to tell them apart with the naked eye.

I also couldn’t tell what I was wearing.

“Um…”

While they were agonizing over which swimsuit to choose with their arms crossed, Shine strode forward and took the swimsuit that Rain was holding.

She suddenly started sniffing the swimsuit.

Shine sniffs the swimsuit while holding it in front of her nose.

But he tilted his head as if something was strange.

“Over there…”

“Shh.”

Shine, who had cut me off, began to sniff around again.

“Sseuup-!”

It felt like her swimsuit was being sucked up her nose.

After repeating that action for a while, Shine nodded and handed me the swimsuit.

“This is Jeff’s.”

I fiddled with the swimsuit I was given.

The strange part was a little damp and hot.