Chapter 67: (Future) Ebony Mermaid Princess

"What period do we have after lunch, Haruma?"

"Hm...P.E., I think. Why?"

"Nothing. I just realized that everything changed while I was gone for a month..."

"Haha, well, having an empty seat in the middle of the classroom doesn't really look that good anyway, so now that it's being filled, you have to sit at the back then." Haruma laughed as we were having lunch together.

Now that I'm back from a mysterious one-month break (according to my classmates), they were pretty interested in my reappearance. Only after our teacher forced them to keep their questions to themselves until lunch did we finally start the lessons.

And even then, they took up almost half of my lunch break to ask their questions, which I answered most of the general questions. As for the more private ones, well, I let their imaginations run wild.

"As popular as always, huh? I'm glad that you're finally back, though." Haruma muttered.

"Of course, you would be glad your friend is back."

"It's not that, Fuu-chan. It's because when you disappeared all of a sudden without telling us, everyone in the class has constantly been asking us," Pointing at himself, Shouko, Kaori, Raku, Shū, "about you."

"Yeah, I was so lonely without listening to your music."

How sad, she only missed my music...

"And of course, you too," Kaori added.

Yay.

"Alright, let's hurry and finish our meal before the bell rings. Otherwise, Gotou-sensei will think that we're skipping P.E. lessons on purpose."

"Ironman, huh?"

Of course, he's not the ironman. He's just called that because he's as strong as iron, with a stubbornness of a bull to compliment his strength. He is the disciplinary master of the school, and the worst part? He doesn't care who the student is. If they did something wrong, they would be punished, whether a third-year or first-year, resulting in many people fearing him.

∞

Knowing that being in junior high school, the students were not really enthusiastic about being ordered to swim laps, so our P.E. teacher took advantage of the hot weather to at least force us all into the water. In there, whether we swam, float, or just played around in the water, it was all up to us. She would just be beside the pool to ensure that none of us tried to hold our breath underwater and ensure our safety.

"Ahh...the water is nice as always."

Being back in the water only after three days since I left the sea felt great. It might not have any of the advantages a seaside could provide, but it was nice in its own ways, especially with my friends around me.

On a totally unrelated note, being in a bath doesn't count as being "in the water". After all, apart from Iori, I don't think anyone would just go completely naked in the pool or sea.

If I could, I would have brought some balls or water guns back to the school pool, but unfortunately, it was not the public pool; the school wouldn't allow it at all. So we had to settle with just having our own water competitions or splashing each other with water.

While I was enjoying my time with my friends, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.

Why is the Ebony Mermaid Princess not in the water?

"Sorry, Shou-chan. Can you go play with the others first?"

"Hm?" Shouko looked at me curiously, and I pointed towards the lonely girl who was just sitting by the edge of the water but not entering it.

"Sigh, you're too kind, Fuu-kun..." Shouko muttered softly, "Go ahead. We're waiting for you to bring her along with us."

"Thank you, Shou-chan."

Swimming towards her, I leaned my back against the pool wall and stared at the bright, blue sky.

"Do you mind if you share why you are afraid of the water, Takemoto-san?"

"U-Uesugi-kun?" She was surprised that I suddenly started talking to her out of nowhere.

"Yep, Uesugi here. So, do you mind?"

"Well..."

Seeing her hesitate, I shrugged my shoulders and spoke, "Well, if you don't want to tell me, it's okay."

"Why are you so interested in me anyway? You have a lot of friends waiting for you in the middle of the pool..."

"Oh, it's just because you seemed lonely. I might not have been here for a month, so I guess it's my own way of trying to 'reconnect' with everyone?"

"What a weird guy..."

"Hey! I can hear you, you know?"

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

Wow, she really takes everything seriously, huh?

"I'm just kidding, Takemoto-san."

She just stared at me, not knowing what expression to take on now. The silence continued for a while, with neither of us knowing what to talk about now.

In an attempt to break that awkward silence between us, I started the conversation once more, "Did you join any club?"

"Swimming club."

"Swimming club? So you're feeling unwell today? And that is why you're not entering the water?"

"S-Something like that."

Okay, so it's not like that. Did Bokuben say anything about why she was currently afraid? I just can't seem to remember it no matter how hard I try.

∞ 3rd Pov ∞

Uruka was simply enjoying her time alone at the edge of the pool. After all, even if she lost at her recent competition, she still loved the water.

Being in the water was like how others had air around them; they became alive. It had always been this way - until now, that is.

Just entering Junior High made her worldview grow. She had won every elementary school swimming competition, but in junior high? She lost on her first try.

Not talking about the nationals, she couldn't even get past the preliminaries. And she didn't just lose by a few milliseconds; she lost by three whole seconds. It might not seem much, but three seconds was a gap huge enough that determined the top batch and the lowest all in one go in a swimming competition.

From the champion in a swimming contest to one of the last ones...It was hard for anyone to understand the feeling of being crushed.

The water, which used to be her primary source of comfort and warmth, apart from her parents, suddenly became cold and unfeeling. Even now, with only her legs dipped in the water, she was still trembling under the hot sun.

'What is wrong with me?'

Shaking her head out of this train of thought, she denied that motion. She knew exactly what was going on with herself; she just doesn't want to admit it.

"Do you mind if you share why you are afraid of the water, Takemoto-san?"

A sudden voice snapped out her thoughts, and when her head became clear, she took a good look at the white-haired boy lazing beside her.

"U-Uesugi-kun?"

"Yep, Uesugi here. So, do you mind?"

What a weird response. Still, there was nothing for Uruka to share. After all, she wasn't afraid of the water.

"Well..."

Before I could reply, he shrugged his shoulders and spoke, "Well, if you don't want to tell me, it's okay."

Hearing that he had misunderstood her, she was about to clarify it, but a seemingly more important question arrived in her mind.

"Why are you so interested in me anyway?" Uruka asked curiously. It wasn't as though he had no friends and needed her company.

"You have a lot of friends waiting for you in the middle of the pool..."

"Oh, it's just because you seemed lonely. I might not have been here for a month, so I guess it's my own way of trying to 'reconnect' with everyone?"

Uruka had always been a straightforward girl, never hiding about things. Well, most of the time, at least. She could keep a secret if needed. But in this case...

"What a weird guy..." She spoke out loud without thinking much. Wanting to 'reconnect' is only needed for close friends and such. They were barely friends, so 'reconnecting' shouldn't be the correct term used. Yet...

"Hey! I can hear you, you know?"

'Oh no! Did my remark somehow offended him?!'

"I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" Uruka apologized without hesitation, only to hear a laugh saying that he was just joking with me.

She doesn't get this guy. What was wrong with him?

Still, as she carefully took a look now, she could see that his body was similar to hers. Not the tan lines, but the fact that he was a...swimmer? She could only guess, but since his upper body seemed to be slightly darker in color than his legs. Quite an odd tan he has...

"Did you join any club?" He asked out of the blue once more.

"Swimming club."

"Swimming club? So you're feeling unwell today? And that is why you're not entering the water?"

Is this guy a master of misunderstanding? Or can he just not wait for any explanations?

"S-Something like that." Well, technically, it was the truth. But she 'feeling unwell' was not referred to her physical state, but her mind, not that he needed to know.

"Why don't you go back to your friends who are obviously waiting for you? I'm fine by myself over here."

"I promised Shou-chan that I would bring you along as well, though."

'How could you decide everything alone?!'

"So until you feel comfortable, I'll just be here lazing and enjoying the sun. Moving in the water might feel good, but sometimes, it's just better to float as the waves take you to somewhere unknown."

'Waves? Did Uesugi swim in the ocean?'

Unable to hold back her question, she asked and received a 'yes' from him.

Finding a similar point with him helped Uruka be more comfortable with him, and the conversation between them grew.

"I lost at my competition."

It slipped out. Uruka didn't plan to reveal what was hurting her. What made her...insecure in the water.

"I see...did you try your best?"

Uruka didn't know what Uesugi was trying to do, so she just accompanied him. Plus, he was probably the only one who didn't immediately try to comfort her; she was sick of it.

"Yes."

"Did you feel frustrated?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't?!"

"Good then!"

'Good? Why would losing and feeling frustrated after that be a good thing?' Uruka couldn't help but think. The boy in front of her was returning to the image of a weird person like before.

"If you're wondering why it's because that frustration you felt is just a signal telling you that you haven't given up yet."

'You couldn't be more wrong...'

"And I'm not wrong. Otherwise, you would have just enjoyed the water like anybody else here. Why would you be worrying at the sidelines like you are now?" Uesugi pointed out, "If you had given up, why are you so caught up on whether or not to enter the pool?"

Now that she thought of it that way, Uruka felt that what Uesugi said was correct. But...

"I don't have tale-Ouch!" Uruka had to stop her sentence mid-way as she felt a flick on her forehead, "What was that for?"

"Talent? Do you really need that for something you love? Do you need the talent to win? Do you need talent to not give up? Saying that you don't have talent is just an excuse for you to give up.

Indeed, you might not have talent, but even so, does that really matter? Would having a lack of talent prevent you from enjoying the things you love, Takemoto?"

Uruka could only remain silent at his questions. It was true that talent was needed, but she didn't just want to enjoy it; it was a big part of her life until now, and she didn't want to settle for anything less than winning.

"If you still feel so, then I'll tell you this. Sometimes, talent isn't the only thing you need. You probably heard many people say this before, but hard work matters too. There is no point in having talent if you don't work hard."

'Even if it's me, if I didn't practice every day, the system would have just been an accessory, in the end, not becoming truly who I am today.' Fuutarou added in his mind, 'And not to mention, you'll be a mermaid in the future...'

"If one hour of training isn't enough, then practice for two hours. If it is still not enough, then three hours. If once a week isn't enough, then three times a week, five times a week. You might not see the results now, but in the future, you'll definitely be able to do so."

"And if I still can't succeed even after trying my very best and practicing daily for ten hours?"

"Hm..." Uesugi put on a thoughtful expression on his face before eventually saying with a bright smile, "Then I'll take responsibility and let you cry on my shoulder."

Uruka paused for a while at his answer before she eventually burst into laughter. This attracted some attention from the nearby students who wondered what was going on.

"Hahahaha...you're so funny, Uesugi-kun."

"Am I? I'm not joking, though? But even if you don't have faith in yourself, I'll always have faith that you will succeed, Takemoto."

At his words, Uruka finally stopped laughing and looked at Uesugi with a smile, seemingly having made up her mind.

"Thank you, Uesugi-kun..."

"I have no idea what you're thanking me for, but you're welcome. I'm not going to convince you any longer, so you can join us if you want."

"Perhaps next time. For now, I'll just sit here and enjoy the calm."

"If you say so..."

Uesugi left, leaving Uruka once again all by herself at the edge of the pool. Looking at his back, a smile once again found its way on her mouth.

'What a weird boy...and thank you.'

Uruka didn't know what to make of the weird boy. Like any other teenage girl out there, she was naturally attracted to Fuutarou's looks on her first day here. But it was just that - looks and nothing else. A mere moment of attraction.

They had interacted a few times, but this was the first time they had interacted that caused her to have a different image of the usual guy flirting with his girlfriends and making friends with everybody in the class, and if the rumors were true, the entire level. Not even the most-anti social kid managed to evade his claws.

"Really...thanks to you, I now know what to do, Uesugi-kun," Uruka murmured to herself before shaking out of her thoughts. The weight on her shoulder just seemed to have disappeared, and she had never felt freer in these past weeks.

Standing out on the pool's edge and finding an empty spot in the pool, a smile blossomed on her face as she dived back in the pool.

There was no more hesitation in her eyes.

*****************

A/N: Trivia - Uruka Takemoto was once afraid of water in her early period of junior high school. That said, although relatively short by my standards, this would be another arc. Like Mafuyu's arc, which only contained one chapter, this is just planting the seed of love. Uruka's crush started in her second year in canon, if I'm not wrong, and I don't plan to change that.

There would be two more chapters that would be spent with Shouko outside for the first time - a date! - before returning to Italy to become the very best in Chapter 69. There would be two more arcs left before we reach year 2, where a ton of action would occur. So please look forward to that, because I'm looking forward to writing it. And always remember:

"Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life"