Middle School Life. (Kirishima Ikuya x Reader)

Chapter 5

It was lunchtime. You sat at the usual table with the boys. You move your chopsticks around the inside of your bento, lost in thought.
'What do I swim for?'
'Why me?'
'What if we lose the upcoming tournament?'
'Why am I feeling like this?'
You think with half lidded eyes.
"Haru, is that all you're having today?"
"Oh, it's grilled mackerel."
"It is a lot less than yesterday." Asahi noticed.
"You want some of mine, Haru? I'm not really hungry.." You offer the boy.
"No, it's fine. My parents won't be home for a while."
"How long is a while?" Asahi asks.
"About a week.."
"Eh? You're going to be all by yourself?" Kisumi asks all worried.
"It's not really a big deal.."
"Really? I'd be impossible for me. (Name), you live all by yourself, don't you? Doesn't it get lonely?"
"Huh? Oh. Well, my parents do come to see me. And my relatives check up on me as well. I'm okay."
"You're okay being alone, Haru, (Name)?"
'It's bitter.' Haruka thinks as he took a bite of his mackerel.

"Okay, we're going to do sets of freestyle! Asahi, can you do it?"
"Y-Yes!"
"Let's time you all. First up, (Name)." Nao looks over at you.
You put on your goggles and swimming cap as you dive in the pool. After completing 50m, you slip off your cap and goggles, still in the pool.
"D-Did I get any faster?" You ask Nao, hope in your eyes.
"It was less than your previous time.." Nao hesitated to tell you. That was all the answer you needed.
"Damn it!" You groan as you get out of the pool.
'What's with her?' Asahi wonders.
"Next up, Haruka."
Haruka then dove into the pool and swam 50m by freestyle. Asahi watched him swim very careful. Makoto looked over to Ikuya, who tried copying Haruka's movements.
"Next, Asahi."
You watch as Asahi dove in after hearing the whistle. His movements weren't that of freestyle. He struggled to swim. You look away, feeling sorry for him.
"Damn it." Asahi growls.
"Asahi, don't push yourself." Nao tells the boy.
"Damn it!" Asahi yells out in frustration.
"Next, Makoto."
"Yes!" Makoto starts to swim.
"Hey, Haru, how do you swim freestyle?" Asahi asks Haruka.
"I don't fight the water. I thrust my fingers to the surface and carve an opening."
"I don't understand at all! I use to be able to swim just fine.." Asahi shakes.
"Asahi.." You put a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Let's start your individual strokes."
You line up to the starting point and look over to see a second year who you had to race.
"Let's do this." She smiles at you.
You nod at her.
At the blow of this whistle, everyone dove into the pool, you went in a bit late.
'Crap!'
You swim freestyle. At the turn, you changed to the breaststroke. You swam with all your might but couldn't help but to notice that no one was in the pool. You stop where you were and noticed that all the members had reached the ending point already. You were still in the middle. Your bangs cover your eyes as they make a veil around your face.
'So, that's just it? I will never be able to improve?' You think bitterly.
"(Name)! If this was a tournament, you would have been disqualified immediately! You don't stop no matter what!" Natsuya scolds the girl.
"What does it matter." You mumble.
"What?"
"Forget it." You were glad no one heard what you had said. You swim back and get out of the pool and watch Haruka and Makoto swim.
"Makoto. You've been swimming for more than 10 minutes."
"I want to get better." Makoto pants.
You all then start doing a relay. You went first, Makoto right after, Ikuya went third, Asahi right after and Haruka in the end.
You all stood in a line after the relay, looking away from each other.
"You're slow. What's the reason for that?" Natsuya shows you all the stopwatch.
"Do you want to swim in the relay at all?" He continues.
"We should all just do individual events." Haruka suggests.
Everyone then looks at Haruka.
"I'm fine with doing individual free." He adds.
"You won't be able to participate in the relay like that!"
"It's impossible to do a relay with these members to begin with." Ikuya points out.
"Don't say that!" Asahi growls.
"Then try to cooperate with me a little! Asahi you just swim however you want to!" Ikuya growls back.
"Shut up!"
"You guys are so loud." You put your arms under your chest as you huff.
"Enough." Natsuya demands and then gives a lecture to you all.

Asahi walked on the sidewalk alone. He then hears Nao call out to him.
"Nao-senpai?"
"What Natsuya said was harsh, wasn't it?"
"It was only the truth.."
"I see."
"I can't think about the relay..It scares me.."
"What do you mean?"
"Senpai.."
Asahi then stops in his tracks, looking down to his feet.
Nao looks at Asahi, who was trembling.
"If..If..If I end up not being to swim the other strokes, what will I do?!" Asahi lets out in a shaky voice.
Nao puts the boy's head on his shoulder. Asahi kept shaking like a leaf after that.

"I like swimmimg.." Makoto tells Haruka.
"What's gotten into you?"
"I like it so I wanted to practice more.."
You at Makoto gently.
"Haru..why did you say we should swim in individual events?" You ask him.
"It's just something I think. I don't like relays." He answers.
"We swam in one in elementary school." Makoto reminds.
"That time and now are different."
"Why did you leave early, Makoto? Haruka questions.
I had class duty..Sorry..I forgot to tell the two of you.."
"You've never forgotten to tell me that before!" Haruka says.
"You say that but..you're saying things that are unusual and confusing. But! Like you said, that time and this time is different" Makoto stammers.
Haruka and (Name) look at Makoto with shock in their eyes. You don't say anything as you walk ahead of the two boys.
"That's true.." Haruka walks on.
"Haru, you're coming to eat dinner with me, aren't you?"
"I'll make something for myself." And with that, Haruka went to his house.

"I'm a genius, I'm a genius, I'm a genius, I'm a genius..I'm..a...genius.." Asahi tells himself in the mirror.

"Why don't you change the training schedule?"
"What do you mean?" Natsuya asks Ikuya.
"If we do our best individually then the relay-"
"It's because you day stuff like that, it isn't going to go well."
"Are you saying that it's my fault?! The other guys are the same!" Ikuya seethes.
"Stop playing innocent and blaming it on your friends. The relay is about the team." Natsuya sighs.
"Team? Friends? You're one to talk, big brother. You said you wanted to expand your world and make friends. You left me all alone first!" Ikuya yells as he runs away, tears in his eyes.
"Ikuya!"
But he had already gone.

"Asahi is scared but I think he's going to be okay. He has ambition and he'll make a great captain someday." Nao tells Natsuya.
"And Makoto?"
"He's comfused. Once he figures everything out, he'll be stronger."
"What about (Name)?"
"She's upset with herself. She thinks she's letting the team down and keeps everything to herself. If she loosens up a bit and believes in herself more, she's bound to succeed."
"Haruka?"
"He's a natural. But when he comes to relays, he's a mess. He needs to pay attention to everything. Just like Ikuya."
"How's Ikuya?"
"His swimming has the least faults." Nao ends.
"My little brother is amazing."
"He'll become even faster."
"I'm counting on you."
"Yeah."

Things weren't going well for the first years.

Here's chapter 5.