𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭 / 𝘪𝘬𝘶𝘺𝘢.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 / 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥.

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kisumi pushed his desk against haru's, confusing [name] as she entered the classroom.

'haru, let's eat together!' he suggested, though haru didn't have an option, the desk was already moved. 'even if you say no, i'm still going ahead,' he added, sealing the deal. [name], eager to make friends, joined kisumi in pushing her desk against theirs to form a larger table.

'haru, let's eat!' asahi declared, drink bottle and lunch in his hands. his smile vanished the moment he saw kisumi's face. 'why are you here?'

'it's fine, let's just eat together,' kisumi reasoned. [name] could picture haru's eyes roll to the back of his head despite his cold exterior.

'shut up. i want to eat with haru,' asahi snapped.

'stop being so picky,' [name] commented, digging into her lunch. as everyone sorted themselves, kisumi asked the 3 about their pasts.

'hey. what elementary school did you go to, asahi?' he asked. in response, asahi shoved his mouth full of food, refusing to speak while eating. 'it wasn't mine,' kisumi noted. 'you went to iwatobi elementary, didn't you, haru? did you go, too, [name]?'

'i just moved here in march,' asahi explained as he swallowed his food. 'so i didn't go to an elementary school near here.'

kisumi's smile brightened, 'hm. so you swam there?'

'yeah, at my old sc. i swam butterfly in the 50 meter and 100 meter races, and the medley relay,' the red-head bragged.

'what's a medley relay?' kisumi asked obliviously.

asahi's pride morphed into frustration. 'it's where 4 people each swim. back, breast, butterfly and freestyle! one after another!' he exclaimed, standing up to demonstrate the strokes for kisumi, simultaneously gaining the attention of the class. 'if you don't know that, then don't butt into our conversation.'

'you explained it even while getting angry,' [name] observed, sipping her juice box.

'you're so kind, asahi!' kisumi added.

asahi's body went rigid. 'well, it's easy enough to explain,' he began, sitting down and resting his hands behind his head. 'i want to participate in a tournament,' he continued, leaning back in his seat. 'but i guess i'd have to swim with a new medley relay team. it'd be nice if i could still do it with the members of my old sc.' 

haru sat straighter, staring at asahi with wide eyes as he recalled his old relay team comprised of makoto, nagisa, [name], rin and himself. at the thought of rin, his eyes narrowed lightly.

kisumi noticed haru's reaction, returning his focus to asahi. 'so, does that mean you two are going for swimming? you should do basketball instead!'

'i told you, we're not doing basketball,' the magenta-eyed boy said, sounding like a broken record to [name].

'but i was thinking that if we started now, then we could be a really good team once we're third years,' kisumi sighed.

'are you underestimating me? if i joined, i'd obviously become a regular right away.'

[name] rolled her eyes at asahi's ego, locking eyes with ikuya. unsure of what to do, she waved her hand, earning a nod in acknowledgement.

'oh, that's amazing,' kisumi praised. 'of course you would, asahi! here's the club entry form.' he held out the form and a pen for asahi to sign, to which he took, then stood up and shoved the paper into kisumi's face.

'yeah- hey wait! i told you i wasn't going to join!' he protested.

'sorry, sorry!'

'i nearly signed it! i nearly signed it!'

'you should just join then!'

haru turned to the door, seeing makoto beckoning him over. a senior who was significantly taller than makoto - which haru didn't think was possible - poked his head around the door with a toothy grin. his brown hair was unkempt and messy, while his brown eyes glinted with charisma. he looked at ikuya and grew excited, though ikuya gave him a blank look from the corner of his eye.

this is kirishima natsuya, ikuya's older brother. he's captain of the iwatobi middle school swim team.

'what is it makoto?' haru asked, walking towards the door.

makoto looked to the natsuya, 'well, this senpai wanted...'

'hey! you're nanase haruka from iwatobi sc, aren't you? please, join the swim club!' he requested, enthusiasm radiating off him. haru hesitated, looking at makoto for an explanation.

'he's been saying this the whole time...' makoto said with a nervous laugh.

natsuya rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, leaning on the door. 'ah, i guess you won't be able to understand like this. sorry.' he stood up straight. 'i'm kirishima natsuya. i'm captain of the school's swimming club. i've come to recruit you for our club,' he explained. at the mention of a swimming club, [name] rose from her seat to join haru and makoto by the door.

'again?' haru asked, reminded of asahi's incessant nagging.

'hm? is something wrong?' natsuya wondered.

'no, it's nothing.'

'use polite language,' [name] scolded, nudging his side.

'desu.'

'ah, who's this?' the older boy questioned, smiling at [name] as she stood beside haru.

'oh, i'm [last name] [name],' she introduced, bowing.

'nice to meet you, i'm kirishima natsuya. so, how about it? want to join the swimming club?'

the 3 stared at natsuya in silence. 'haru... what are you going to do?' makoto asked, turning to face his friend.

'i'm not interested,' haru answered simply.

'haru!'

natsuya seemed to understand. 'did you already decide what club you want to join?'

'we haven't decided yet...' makoto replied for the 3 of them.

'there aren't many first-years who want to join ours, so i'm in a bind,' natsuya informed gently. 'i'm begging you!'

'what should we do?' [name] asked, gazing at her friends.

'school clubs are just for playing around,' an unfamiliar voice interrupted, surprising the group standing by the door. the class ignored the conversation while kisumi and asahi watched attentively from the table.

'ikuya, school clubs aren't just playing around,' natsuya said.

'they are,' ikuya responded firmly. [name] stood by, waiting for the argument she would inevitably have to finish. 'what? have you gotten tired of competitive swimming, so now just want to be buddy buddy? you're so stupid big brother.'

'you're brothers?' makoto inquired as [name] bit her lip.

'ah... uh... yeah,' natsuya replied. 'well, you two, think about joining the club, you can join, too, [last name]. see ya.' [name] watched as the brown-haired boy ran down the halls.

'he said they don't have many people joining. what should we do, haru?' she asked.

'you're too trusting,' haru criticised. 'that's just something they all say when they're recruiting.'

'really?' makoto followed [name] and haru as they returned to the classroom.

ikuya stepped forward. 'there's no point in joining,' he said bluntly, crossing his arms.

'you're kirishima-kun, right? why do you think that?' [name] tilted her head to the side.

'school clubs are just for playing around. for someone who's a member of an sc like me, school clubs are just for playing around. you guys don't think so?' ikuya responded sharply.

'i don't really think that. it's just too much trouble,' haru said, heading to his seat.

ikuya stood in front of him. 'it is just playing!' his gaze lowered to the floor. 'anyway, i just can't take school clubs seriously.'

'huh? isn't the atmosphere over here kind of heavy?' kisumi commented as he and asahi approached the group. ikuya stepped back as they joined and asahi inspected ikuya with a hand on his chin.

'ah! you're the one who's always staring at me and [name]!' asahi exclaimed.

'huh? i don't stare at you!' ikuya protested.

'no, you do!' asahi retorted, leaning closer to ikuya. 'what is it? do you want to be friends with us that badly? you're so hopeless.'

ikuya clenched his fists. 'i don't.'

'i guess it really does come out, even when i try to hide it...'

'what does?' [name] asked.

'my charisma!'

[name] rolled her eyes. as they locked with ikuya's, she smiled lightly. 'no, it's just when he looks at you, it's like he's at a zoo and it makes him laugh,' she countered.

'a zoo? why?'

ikuya smirked, 'you're just like a monkey,' he said. at the thought of asahi as a monkey, [name] laughed with kisumi at the image. cute, ikuya thought.

'don't laugh!' asahi snapped. 'dammit! you've pissed me off now. the one who's accusing me of being a monkey is the one who's a monkey!'

[name] stepped forward, taking a closer look at ikuya before turning back to asahi. 'he doesn't look like one though.' in response to asahi's frustration, she smiled. 'it's ok, asahi. all humans evolved from monkeys.'

'whose side are you on?!' asahi yelled.

'see, you're being just as loud as one,' ikuya noted.

'be quiet,' haru grumbled over kisumi's laughing.

'ah! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5...!' kisumi began, leaving [name] out. she looked at ikuya with disappointment and he shrugged, feeling bad for her exclusion. 'we have 5 people! now there's enough people, do you want to join the basketball club?'

[name] groaned, covering her face with her hands. 'i said i'm not joining,' she said in unison with asahi and ikuya, who were glaring at each other.

'you're still saying that?' haru asked.

'then what are you all going to do about choosing a club?'

'the swimming club, obviously,' asahi stated.

'i haven't decided yet,' makoto replied.

'not interested,' haru added blankly.

'same,' ikuya said, while [name] shrugged.

'huh? i don't care about this guy,' asahi reminded, pointing at ikuya before grabbing [name]'s hand and pulling her to his side. 'but haru, makoto and [name] are joining the swimming club, aren't you?! you can swim can't you?! then you should join!'

'then everyone who can swim would have to join the swimming club,' [name] retorted, yanking her hand away.

'wait, why are you acting like i can't swim?' ikuya asked with a pout. to [name], she found it cute, albeit ikuya had an air of emo about him.

'what? you can swim?' asahi questioned rudely. 

'i've been going to bandou sc since my first year in elementary school,' ikuya defended. 'that's why i'm not interested in school clubs that are just for playing around.'

'so many swimmers...' [name] mumbled, blocking out the endless arguing. it was becoming white noise until natsuya returned.

'fine. if you're that insistent, then i'll join the swimming club and see if it is just playing around,' ikuya declared. by now, [name] was sick of the forever changing opinions.

natsuya entered the room. 'ah. sorry, sorry!' he interrupted.

'kirishima senpai?' makoto asked.

'i forgot to give you these,' natsuya said, giving out flyers. 'here, here, here, swimming club handouts.'

kisumi smiled lightly, 'ah, i'm in the basketball club.'

'aw, that's too bad.'

'all of us here are going to join! except for kisumi!' asahi informed loudly.

'eh? seriously?'

'eh, you're leaving me out?' kisumi pouted.

'us too? don't just decide on your own,' makoto started, 'haru, [name], say something.'

'it's better than the basketball club,' they responded.

'that's so non-committal.'

'i'm against not being in the basketball club,' kisumi stated.

'don't give up halfway through,' natsuya advised as he held out a flyer to ikuya.

'i know!' the younger sibling yelled, snatching the paper from his brother's hand.

natsuya turned to [name] with a smile as he offered a flyer. 'oh, thank you, kirishima-senpai,' she said, taking it. his smile widened at her politeness before walking to the door.

'well, then! see you at the beginning of golden week at the pool!' natsuya walked through the door, waving goodbye as he returned to his own class.