"Let's go. The sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest." Takagi-san walked out of the shade, holding a long-handled brush.
Although Ms. Nanase hadn't set a time limit for them, her thoughts were similar to Tsuna's.
Tsuna casually rolled up his pant legs to his knees, the hems loosely bunched around his upper thighs.
Spots of light reflected off the stainless steel pole and danced across Shouko's calves.
Because it was a last-minute notice, none of them had brought the school-issued swimsuits to school, so they came directly to the swimming pool in their summer school uniforms.
Nishikata, seeing that he was about to start, followed suit, picking up cleaning tools and keeping pace with him.
He took one step out of the shade into the sun, then quickly retreated. "It's just past two o'clock now. Are you really not afraid of heatstroke in this kind of sun?"
When he first heard Ayumi say they could skip class and come down to play in the water, he was quite happy—after all, he could be with Takagi-san…
"How about we change into our gym clothes?" Tsuna looked back at him and suggested.
His suggestion quickly received everyone's agreement, as their school uniforms would inevitably get wet while cleaning the pool, and gym clothes would be more appropriate.
After about five minutes, the seven of them gathered back in the shade again. Ayumi didn't forget to share the sunscreen she brought with everyone present.
"No, thank you."
Nishikata saw that Tsuna had refused and followed suit without thinking.
However, Tsuna had only walked a few steps when Shouko forcibly pulled him back. "Tsuna, I'll help you apply it."
"…" Nishikata was filled with regret.
"Let's go. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can rest." After the sunscreen was applied, Tsuna walked to the pool's water pipe. "Class Monitor, I'm curious, how did you manage to get this opportunity?"
"Ms. Nanase was in the teachers' lounge, saying she didn't know who to assign to clean it, and I just happened to be there, and then you know."
Ajitani narrowed her eyes, pulling out a big smile, just waiting for them to praise her for securing such a rare opportunity.
"…"
Tsuna turned on the water pipe, and a stream of icy cold water splashed onto Ajitani's calves.
The girl screamed and jumped, her slipper flying into the pool, and her white short sock slapped onto the wet tiles. "Miyamura, were you doing that on purpose?"
"Ajitani-chan, this is divine retribution for you taking on the pool cleaning," Takagi-san suddenly spoke playfully, her long-handled brush accurately hooking Nishikata's collar just as he was about to slip.
"Sorry, I didn't expect the water pressure to be so strong." Tsuna clasped his hands together and apologized sincerely.
He didn't intend to question why Ayumi was still wearing white socks when they were about to start cleaning the pool.
And he hadn't even thought of using Ayumi's white socks to make tea.
Sunlight created shimmering ripples on the bottom of the pool. Shouko was crouching by the edge, using a bamboo broom to sweep away fallen leaves, her nose twitching slightly as water droplets splashed on it.
Nishikata thanked Takagi-san, his face flushed, and reached for the floating slipper, only to see Ayumi suddenly grab a spare water hose.
"Take that!"
The moment water exploded in the air, Tsuna pulled Shouko to hide behind the metal ladder, while Takagi-san, as if she had anticipated it, held up a plastic sheet used for cleaning as a shield.
Only the unlucky Nishikata was soaked through, his gym uniform clinging to his back, revealing the clear shape of his shoulder blades.
"Class Monitor, I—"
Before he could finish, Ayumi pressed her two fingers together slightly on the nozzle, instantly changing the straight water jet to a scattered spray mode.
Nishikata was drenched in the face, too exhausted to complain. He picked up a plastic bucket full of clear water nearby and decisively splashed it toward Ayumi.
The distracted Ayumi was instantly soaked, but fortunately, the quality of her gym uniform was good, and her privacy was well protected. Only if she wore a dark color would anything be faintly visible.
Ayumi, who initially had no target, immediately locked onto Nishikata, not far away, and Takagi-san quickly joined the battle.
Shouko, who had originally intended to quietly clean the pool and not join them, also decisively joined when Tsuna was affected by their splashing.
At the same time, she didn't forget to snatch the water hose from Tsuna's hand.
Tsuna looked back at the six people divided into two groups having a water fight, shook his head helplessly, and continued cleaning the pool.
Later, unable to defeat Ayumi and her two teammates, Shouko ran over and pulled him into the battle, and under Ayumi's complaints, the three of them were quickly suppressed.
By the distant railing, Ms. Nanase mumbled indistinctly, biting on a popsicle, "It's great to be young."
After watching for a while, she turned and left, carrying a plastic bag with a convenience store logo.
The swimming pool wasn't cleaned until close to dismissal time, by which point all seven of them were soaked. Ms. Nanase walked to the pool with towels.
Looking at Ayumi and the others, she casually praised them a few times and told them to quickly dry their hair and go home.
And for today's club activities, Shouko and the other three successfully requested leave, and they said goodbye at the school gate.
Ayumi pushed her bicycle at the intersection, bidding farewell to Takagi-san and Nishikata, and stated that she wouldn't be a third wheel anymore, a remark that successfully made Nishikata start to stutter.
The early May sun was already a bit dazzling, and the road was steaming slightly. Low-grade students in blue shirts and yellow hats poured out of the elementary school gate, hopping and stepping on the white lines of the sidewalk for fun.
Middle school students walked in twos and threes, their shadows stretching long, deep navy blazers draped over their arms, and the light blue ties of the girls' sailor uniforms swayed in the wind.
Several boys crowded in front of the ice cream freezer at the convenience store entrance, their school pants still stained with red dirt from the playground, their backpacks tossed at their feet as they scrambled to pay.
A girl riding a bicycle held the handlebars with one hand, her basket filled with knee pads and a bamboo sword bag for club activities.
On the distant residential slope, figures with backpacks gradually scattered into small dots, melting into the sunlight filtering through the utility poles.
"Miyamura Auntie, I'm home!"
"I'm home."
Shouko was the first to reach the entrance, feeling a bit confused when she received no response.
"Mom should be at Uzaki Auntie's house," Tsuna closed the main door and explained as he walked beside her.
During this time, he had learned that his mother often visited the Uzaki family next door; to put it bluntly, she shared gossip with Uzaki Auntie.
After all, Auntie wasn't a housewife like the other two, so it was understandable…
"Summer vacation isn't until late July, so there are still two months." Shouko walked into the living room, took out her tablet from her backpack, and mumbled.
Tsuna sat down by the coffee table, casually turned on the air conditioner, and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you have any plans then?"
"Hmm…" Shouko nodded. "Ajitani-chan mentioned in the changing room that she wants to invite us to her grandpa's old home during summer vacation."
"Old home?" Tsuna paused. He recalled that he really hadn't heard Ayumi mention where her old home was in recent years.
"Where is Class Monitor's old home…?"
"Toyama Prefecture, Toyama City."
"Sounds a bit familiar."