#etherealian

jfC

      Touko had thrown a huge fuss about going in the water. Asahina had pestered her forweeks that she needed to go to the school’s pool party; it was necessary that all current Hope’s Peak students attended. A good portion of the alumni was invited— which, to Fukawa’s joy, included Ishimaru, but also included a noisy bunch by the names of Mioda, Souda, Owari, and several others. Therefore, the literary girl had decided that hiding up in her dorm was a good idea. If Ishimaru wanted to visit, he could do so.

     But Asahina had complained, Celestia had persuaded, Fujisaki had requested, andeventually she gave in. The only issue left was that Fukawa didn’t know how to swim well, nor did she want to wear a swimsuit— after all, the little thing’s leg was decorated with Syo’s proud marks. That wasn’t something she wanted to flash about.

      Come the day of the party, she was dressed in an old pair of shorts and a tank top, which was the most skin she would allow to be shown. The entire time, Touko spent avoiding others, clinging to Ishimaru and Celes as though speaking to another would bephysically painful. It was directed that one of them watch over her at all times when she was in the pool water, lest she go in too deep on accident and not be able to properly swim back to safety.

     Celes, who babysat Touko on a day-to-day basis, was allowed a break from watching over her fairly needy friend from Ishimaru. Very slowly, he persuaded her into the shallow end of the pool (patience was required, as she gave a shrill scream each time she took a step deeper.) Eventually, she doggy-paddled around after him, following the former prefect like a lost puppy.

      As the party winded down and people left the pool, Touko finally opened up a bit. She splashed her friend, shrieking with laughter, and even agreed to put her head beneath the water just to see what it was like, as long as Ishimaru did it as well. Time and time again, she came up sputtering, not quite able to pinch her nose and paddle at the same time. Her giggles echoed around the empty gymnasium, bouncing and rolling off the walls as if the school itself was rejoicing in the shy girl’s joy.

      Fukawa grabbed Ishimaru around the neck, pulling him down into the water. The two play-wrestled for a second, and the former prefect allowed her to push him underwater with her. Much to his surprise— and her own, for she hadn’t planned it— she pressed her lips up against his own. It was warm and soft, despite the cold bite of the water surrounding them. For a second, the literary girl and hall monitor were surrounded by a bubble of their own world, quiet and watery and perfect, until Touko realized she really did need to breathe. She broke away from the kiss and rose to the surface, coughing and spitting on the chlorine.

To see Touko Fukawa part from her shell - even if forcibly at first - was lovely. Her enthusiasm may have been lacking, her concerns may have been mostly devoted to remaining hidden from sight and apart from their classmates. But she was still here, still dressed a bit more lightly given the occasion, and still trying to pull further from her self-destructive routine. Even if just for today.

Ishimaru felt warm pride for that. He felt it from the moment she braved herself and waded into the water with him, felt it as she paddled about gracelessly in his wake, and especially so as she took to playful behavior as opposed to her usual containment. He may have protested that splashing about could get water into their eyes and be ultimately harmful, but by that he meant that he couldn't be happier to bare witness to Touko's joy.

She squeaked when she laughed and she was clumsy whilst she swam but her grin was so honest and her contentment so true that none of this mattered. He swam along, dove with her, played like a child in their first pool party up until that too melted away. Strangely, into something sweeter. despite the chlorine, his surprise had been such that he opened his eyes beneath the water. And there she was, close but still entirely blurred to his sight, warm where their hands and lips touched as if no more than a timid brush. His line of thought went blank, at least until she parted for breath and he noted the burning sensation in his eyes.

NEGGI

You a-argued with me. That’s a pretty g-good waste of t-time, I think.

A-Are you going to d-dress up as a principal for Halloween? That’d be a c-convienent costume.

" I am a principal every single day of the year, other than on Father's Day, then I'm a father and I get a discount at restaurants- so why would you think I would want to be a principal-?

                                  I mean-

I d-don’t know what’s happening! Ghhaaaaa…!