"Let's go— the sooner we finish, the sooner we can rest."
Takagi stepped out from the shade, holding a long-handled brush in one hand.
Although Ms. Nanase hadn't set a strict time limit, her thoughts were much the same as Akira's.
Akira rolled his pant legs up to his knees, the fabric bunching loosely around his thighs. Sunlight bounced off the stainless-steel pole in his hand, scattering faint reflections across Shouko's pale calves.
Because it had been a last-minute assignment, none of them had brought their school swimsuits, so they arrived at the pool in their summer uniforms.
Nishikata followed Akira's lead, picking up a cleaning brush of his own. He took one step out of the shade, only to immediately retreat.
"It's just past two in the afternoon—aren't you afraid of heatstroke in this kind of sun?" he complained.
When Ayumi had first told him they could "skip class and play in the water," he'd been thrilled… mostly because it meant spending more time with Takagi.
"How about we change into our gym clothes?" Akira suggested.
Everyone quickly agreed—after all, their uniforms would definitely get soaked while cleaning, and the gym clothes were lighter and easier to move in.
Five minutes later, the seven of them gathered again under the shade. Ayumi took out a bottle of sunscreen and offered it to everyone.
"No, thanks," Akira declined, shaking his head.
Nishikata, seeing that, followed his example without thinking.
However, before Akira could walk away, Shouko grabbed his wrist. "Akira, I'll help you apply it," she said sweetly.
"…"
Nishikata immediately regretted everything.
Once they were done, Akira clapped his hands and said, "Let's hurry and finish. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can rest." He walked to the pool's water pipe and looked toward Ayumi. "By the way, Class Monitor, how exactly did you 'get' us this job?"
Ayumi puffed up proudly. "Ms. Nanase was in the teachers' office, saying she didn't know who to assign to clean the pool. I happened to be there, and, well—you know the rest!"
She narrowed her eyes and grinned, clearly waiting for praise for securing such a "rare opportunity."
"…"
Without a word, Akira turned on the water. A sudden spray of freezing water splashed directly onto Ayumi's calves.
"Eek!" she squealed, hopping on one leg as her slipper flew straight into the pool. Her white sock landed with a wet slap on the tile. "Miyamura! Was that on purpose!?"
"Divine retribution," Takagi said playfully, using her long-handled brush to hook Nishikata's collar just as he tried to slip away.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't realize the pressure was that strong." Akira clasped his hands together in a mock apology. He decided not to question why Ayumi had even bothered wearing socks in the first place… or what kind of person would use them for "tea."
Sunlight shimmered across the water's surface. Shouko crouched near the pool's edge, sweeping fallen leaves away with a bamboo broom. Tiny water droplets landed on her nose, and she wrinkled it adorably.
Nishikata bent to retrieve Ayumi's slipper—only for Ayumi herself to grab a spare hose and grin mischievously.
"Take this!"
The hose erupted, spraying everywhere. Akira quickly pulled Shouko behind the pool ladder, while Takagi—prepared as always—raised a plastic sheet like a makeshift shield.
Only Nishikata wasn't so lucky. The full blast hit him head-on, soaking his gym uniform completely. The fabric clung to his shoulders and back.
"Class Monitor, I—" he sputtered, but before he could finish, Ayumi adjusted her grip on the nozzle, turning the sharp stream into a wide spray that drenched him again.
Finally fed up, Nishikata grabbed a nearby bucket and dumped it over Ayumi.
"Ahhh! Cold!" she yelped, drenched from head to toe. Thankfully, the gym uniform was thick enough that nothing showed—though the sight was still enough to make Nishikata look away in panic.
Now it was war. Ayumi retaliated immediately, and Takagi joined her side. Shouko, who had been quietly cleaning and pretending not to notice, finally jumped into the fray the moment Akira got splashed.
She even snatched the hose right out of his hands.
Akira sighed, glancing at the chaos of flying water and laughter before shaking his head helplessly and returning to scrubbing the tiles. But when Shouko tugged at his arm, begging him to join, he couldn't resist any longer.
Within minutes, all seven were caught up in an all-out water fight.
By the distant railing, Ms. Nanase bit into a popsicle, watching them with amusement.
"It's great to be young," she murmured before turning away, a convenience store bag swinging at her side.
They didn't finish cleaning until right before dismissal. By then, everyone was soaked and exhausted. Ms. Nanase returned with towels, praised them casually, and told them to dry off and go home.
That day, Shouko and her friends also received permission to skip club activities, so the group parted ways at the school gate.
At the intersection, Ayumi pushed her bike alongside Takagi and Nishikata. "Well, I won't be a third wheel anymore," she said teasingly. Nishikata's face turned crimson on the spot.
The early May sunlight was dazzling, and the asphalt shimmered with heat.
Elementary students in blue shirts and yellow hats poured out of their school gate, hopping along the white lines of the sidewalk.
Middle schoolers walked home in pairs or trios, jackets draped over their shoulders, the pale-blue ties of their sailor uniforms fluttering in the breeze.
In front of the convenience store, a group of boys crowded around the ice cream freezer, their pants still marked with red dirt from gym class. Their bags lay scattered on the ground as they fumbled for coins.
A girl in a uniform rode by on her bicycle, one hand on the handlebars, the other steadying a bag stuffed with knee pads and a bamboo sword.
Far up the residential slope, the students' figures slowly scattered into the golden light filtering through the utility poles.
"I'm home, Auntie!" Shouko called as she stepped into the house.
"I'm home," Akira added, closing the door behind her.
When no one replied, Shouko looked puzzled.
"Mom's probably next door at Auntie Uzaki's," Akira explained, slipping off his shoes. "She's been going there a lot lately. Guess she's got plenty to gossip about."
Shouko smiled faintly and walked into the living room, taking out her tablet. "Summer vacation isn't until late July… still two months away," she murmured.
Akira switched on the air conditioner and sat beside her. "Why? Got plans already?"
"Mm-hmm." Shouko nodded. "Ayumi-chan mentioned in the changing room that she wants to invite us to her grandpa's old home during summer vacation."
"Her old home?" Akira blinked. He realized he'd never actually heard where Ayumi's family came from.
"Where is it?"
"Toyama Prefecture—Toyama City," Shouko replied softly.
"Toyama, huh…" Akira leaned back, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "That name sounds kind of familiar."
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