No, Not Fight Club, Swim Club! [Wakana, Juon, Keiko]

[Wakana]

_{'It'll be alright. Nothing bad will happen.'}


The mantra stuck itself firmly in Wakana's brain, following her through the school day like a leech. She gave a silent groan, dropping her forehead against the welcoming coolness of her desk in the last class of the day. Today was the day, although she wished already that there was still another week left to wait to meet Jbeans-senpai and his friend at the swim club. Wakana was shy enough as it was, but meeting two senpais at once was a little scary. Okay maybe not a litte, but a lot scary. Her shoulders drooped, a loud sigh echoing from her lips. Writing was so much easier! If only she wasn't supposed to be taking the chance to make new friends her new school...

Time dragged on, before finally the bell rang to signal the end of school, and the beginning of her hell. Slowly but surely, all the other students trickled out of the room excitedly until there was no one left but herself. Like a lead weight had centered itself over her body, Wakana languidly shuffled her notes and pencil case into her bag, straightening them neatly before finally standing to meet her fate for the day. She just hoped senpai was as nice in person as he was in his letters, and that his friend was equally as easy to get along with. Hopefully...





_Juon
Keiko

[Juon]

Ultimately, Juon had forgotten to tell Keiko about the meeting--rather, he'd just told her about it the day of, approaching her in homeroom that someone he knew was going to be swinging by swim practice that day, and that she was the kind of person that Keiko would probably get along with--and, ultimately, that they should meet. He decided not to include the rest of the [probably-important] context, such as the fact that he'd technically never met her in person before, or had no idea what she looked like, or even knew what her name was.

Technicalities, he excused it as.

But: it was true. He was to meet Hama, his first-year of a pen pal that he'd written a number of letters back and forth with over the course of a couple of weeks. She'd had quite a knowledge of the ocean, and a history with it, so it only made sense that she should've visited the swim club, right? Right.

He'd gotten to practice early at the end of the day, skipping his usual downtime spent at the dorm when he went to switch bags, and getting in some swimming early, just to meet his personal quota for activity before she came; he wasn't sure if she'd be coming right at the start of practice, or more in the realm of during it, so it made sense to him to do as much as he could before then. Besides, if he--as well as others--were swimming when she got there, the club might look a little more impressive, right? ... Probably inaccurate, considering he was one of the slowest swimmers on the team, but at least his technique was good (or so he told himself). Though in truth, he didn't actually even know what he looked like while swimming... hm.

Either way, he was excited for the meeting, and was desperately hoping that it would go well between Hama and Keiko. After all, Keiko could be... well...

She just hoped she wouldn't scare the first year too badly.

[Keiko]

There was a certain kind of light that that seemed happily fixated in Keiko’s eye, a sparkle of amusement that grew like a spitfire when prompted by Juon about a probable friend of his. It wasn’t every day that Juon of all people tried to introduce her to someone, especially as Juon generally wasn’t one to share company with Keiko if he could help it, either. Details became nonconsequential and were largely ignored- even if later she may regret not pushing the details out of her classmate. At the present moment, however, she was too far into the idea that she was actually deemed acceptable to be given an introduction at all.

Her ego was at its pinnacle height; by the time swim club properly rolled around her chest was puffed up and her shoulders raised a bit too high with just how entirely stoked she was about the whole exchange. Not that she’d ever admit to it though- she’d rather eat her own fist whole than give away that her Great Self would be skippy about a little chit chat with a friend of a friend. It was unheard of and below her to be perceived having such a thought… but it did not mean that she couldn’t harbor it close in her chest.

The remnants of a small sneer drew across her lips and her nose when she arrived at practice at more or less the normal time. A manicured hand rested on her lip as she took position lording over the pool, one not at all unusual to the regular participants of swim club, eyeing Juon as he seemed to be getting his laps completed early. Initially opening her mouth to bark some unsavory directions his way, she shut her trap tightly with reconsideration that she needed to look good for this mystery friend, especially if they were “the kind of person that (she) would probably get along with”.

Keiko lightly pressed a finger to her lips and turned away- deciding that she’s grant her lackey a smudge of leeway for the moment, figuring he had proved his worth for the day and should be rewarded. Even if he didn’t exactly know he was being given as much. After disappearing into the women’s locker room she made the motions of changing into her swimsuit. Only as she was tugging her swim cap over her long mess of hair did it only occur to her- did she even bother to ask what the mystery girl’s name was?

[Wakana]

The heavy smell of chlorine was the first thing that Wakana noticed as she peaked her head through the door to the pool. Her nose wrinkled a little, unused to the scent that drenched most public type pools. Home really didn't need them, considering the ocean right at their doorstep was so much more appealing to most swimmers. She shuffled through the door, feeling awkwardly out of place as she took a seat at one of the bleachers and set her bag down beside her. That morning, Wakana realized they had forgotten to introduce themselves properly to make it easier to find each other. Luckily, she decided to wear a few shell pins in the side of her braid today. Her fingers smoothed over them, nervously tucking the hair aside while hoping it was enough to hint at being Hama. She brought them back down to her lap, clasping her hands together tightly before shyly looking around to study the club.

Everyone so far looked rather relaxed, something that soothed a small part of her nervousness, although being in her uniform was probably pretty eye catching. Although, perhaps not as much as the girl who seemed to be looking over everyone like a hawk. Maybe she was the captain of the club? It would make sense. Too bad it was far to scary approaching a stranger, and she didn't think Jbeans-senpai would be an appropriate name to ask for considering.

She gave what must be the hundredth sigh of the day.  

[Juon]

Muscles surging as he pressed forward finishing out his last lap of a butterfly stroke, Juon halted at the shallow end of the pool, pulling off his goggles with a snap and letting them hang around his neck. Peering about the natatorium, he caught obvious sight of Keiko, watching over the swimmers with her usual prowess, as well as--someone on the bleachers!

Pushing himself out of the water up to the edge, he clambered his way to the platform and stood himself up, giving a quick shake to try and dry himself, lest he be a dripping wet mess when he approached. He couldn't quite see the individual from his distance, so he made the attempt to inconspicuously make his way toward the front of the pool to get a better look.

It was a first year--that matched up--and she had a touch of a foreign look to her--also a match (a match he shared, as well, if she was aiming to identify him)--and she was wearing... shells? That also sounded like a match; or, at least, a match to her stationary, and probably to the whole 'ocean' theme, in general.

As he made a quicker step--as that had to be her, right?--he passed by Keiko, giving her a tap on the shoulder as a signal that he thought the person he was wanting her to meet was here. Continuing over to the bleachers in a light jog, he came to a halt in front of them (not wanting to climb up onto them, for risk of getting them soaked), calling up to her with the smallest touch of hesitation, "Hama?"