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Making Waves (Hachisame Act 1 Introduction))

Jun 26th, 2014
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  1. Part 1: http://pastebin.com/DdZgrrkS
  2.  
  3. Hitomi leads me away from the workout room, down a few more blank and sterile halls that remind me a little too much of the hospital I feel like I just escaped. It makes me feel slightly claustrophobic, like I was being led back there all over again. Hitomi could very well be a one eyed nurse trying to lead me into a trap. The only difference here is that over the smell of bleach and disinfectant, I can smell chlorine and water. “Is the pool nearby?”
  4.  
  5. Hitomi nods, her hair bouncing as she does, drying her forehead with her towel after her bout of exercise. “Yeah, it's close. They stick all the workout stuff together, it's just down the hall. Easier for students to get around that way, you know.“
  6.  
  7. She leads me to a door with a glass pane set into it, opening the way for me as she does. “Ladies first,” she says grandly. I think it's a little odd for a girl to open doors for a guy, but I nod thanks before stepping in. I don't mind, she's kind of cute when she does it and her smile makes me forget all about the eye patch she's wearing or that she's still in her work out clothes. The sound of water lapping and splashing comes through the door she holds for me and I step through, a rush of cooler air on the other side.
  8.  
  9. The pool at Yamaku is bigger than I was expecting. While I don't think it could be considered professional sized, it's the biggest pool I've ever seen. The water is crystal clear and the tile floor around it has rubber mats to prevent slipping the whole way around, metal banisters next to the water's edge to prevent students from falling in. I count at least five different ways to get into the pool, ladders for those students who can climb, broad stairways leading underwater for those who can't, even something that kind of looks like a crane with a big hammock attached to lower disabled students in with. The wall on the far side is lined with rising levels of bleachers much like the ones at the track field. I bet Yamaku has competitive swimming along with the running events they hold, but the surprise of that has worn off now that I've started to think of this place as more of a normal school rather than a holding pen for broken people. A few beach chairs and tables are also scattered around the pool along with benches along the walls for students to rest and enjoy between swimming matches. Near the water's edge, I notice a vacant wheelchair sitting alone and without an owner, a few towels folded on it's empty seat.
  10.  
  11. The surface of the pool sparkles, reflecting the light of the lamps high above, the tall cavernous room filled with the sound of water splashing from a single swimmer. The dark, sleek blur cuts above the water, long arms spinning in a big circle, propelling it through the tiny waves.
  12.  
  13. Hitomi steps up next to me and grins at the swimmer, a tip of her head and wink at me. “She should be just about done if she remembers how long she's been in there.“
  14.  
  15. I keep watching the swimmer, almost ignoring Hitomi's comment. The swimmer continues to speed along at a lightning pace that I didn't think people could keep up, slicing through the water more like a fish than a person. Propelled by her arms and her twisting body, she spends more time under the water than above it, rocketing towards the pool edge before flipping upside down with only a few inches to spare, planting her feet on the wall and propelling herself back the way she came. Every so often I can hear her gasp for breath before plunging back down for another push through the water.
  16.  
  17. I could keep watching her graceful movements for longer but Hitomi doesn't seem to have as much patience as I do. She sighs after the third pass without any signs of the swimmer stopping before kneeling down by the edge of the pool. When the swimmer passes by once more, she lunges down into the water, grabs a hold of her swimsuit and yanks her up to the surface.
  18.  
  19. With a surprised gasp and shout, the swimmer gets pulled out of what seems like a trance, yelping in surprise as Hitomi holds her just above the water's surface suspended by her swimsuit straps, tiny droplets falling back into the pool. Her arms keep splaying in a swimming movement for a second before she realizes what's just happened.
  20.  
  21. The swimmer looks confused as her flailing arms don't push her through water anymore and grasp feebly at air. She hangs limp for a moment before looking up at her captor with an angry glare. “Hitomi! Stop doing that! Put me down, I wasn't finished.”
  22.  
  23. The girls' voice is a little odd, tinged by an accent I can't place.
  24.  
  25. Hitomi shrugs nonchalantly and drops the other girl back into the water, causing her to yelp once more. She makes a big splash when she hits the surface, sputtering as she spits out the water, coughing a few times from swallowing a gulp full. She rights herself, floating up to her neck, looking rather angry under her swim cap and behind her goggles. She rips them both off and I get my first good look at her.
  26.  
  27. I can't tell how tall she is with only her shoulders above water, but she has bronzed skin, like she was native to a sunnier climate and spent a lot of time in it. Her deep color is in direct contrast to her blonde hair, shocking in it's brightness. I can't accept any possibility with that combination other than her hair being dyed that way. Her flashing eyes are pale and angry, glaring at Hitomi for her disruption. I can see under the water her wavering form and the school competitive swimsuit she wears which fits snugly on her body. “Why are you here so early? I was really in the zone!”
  28.  
  29. Hitomi puts both fists on her hips, striking an imposing figure and I see her tight outfit stretch over her shoulders. “I'm not going to be late for class again, I'm already on warning. Lunch is almost over, you told me to come and get you.“
  30. “Nuh-uh! It is not almost over! I still have,” the swimmer girl complains before checking a watch on her wrist covered in beads of condensation. She stares at it dumbly for a while not saying anything.
  31.  
  32. “Well?” Hitomi says, sounding like she already knows the answer.
  33. The swimmer still doesn't say anything, continuing to stare at the blank screen of her electric watch.
  34. She taps it a few times, the screen blank and dead.
  35. “You forgot to take your watch off again, didn't you?”
  36. The swimmer nods.
  37. “Isn't it waterproof?” I ask.
  38.  
  39. The swimming girl looks up at me, almost as surprised to see me as she is the blank, non functioning watch on her own wrist. Her mouth moves a little, a tiny surprised expression, not making any noise as she stares up at my presence, totally unaware I was standing right next to Hitomi until I spoke up.
  40.  
  41. “At least it wasn't your cell phone this time,” Hitomi comments. With the way she says it, I get the feeling that this is sort of a common occurrence for the swimming girl. “Listen, I still need a shower, you want me to pull you out or do you want me to tell the teacher you'll be late again? I'm not taking the fall this time for you.“
  42.  
  43. The swimming girl doesn't answer, but she keeps staring up at me, enough to make me feel either uncomfortable or unwelcome. I'm not sure which one it is or if it's a mixture of both.
  44.  
  45. “Hey! I'm talking here!” Hitomi kicks a little water at the girl to get her attention a second time.
  46. She flinches when the water hits her in the face. “Yeah, sure, I'm done,” the girl in the water says after Hitomi snaps her out of her blank stare in my direction. “Grab my chair.” The girl then twists in the water and swims towards the nearby staircase like a shark without even a second glance at me.
  47.  
  48. Hitomi walks around the pool, grabbing the wheelchair I noticed before as she does. She picks it up easily and I get the feeling that it's pretty light especially for someone as strong as she is. Hitomi walks it down into the water up to her bare knees, the swimming girl waiting for her. She bends down to pick the girl up, but as she drapes her over her arms, the girl in the swimsuit whispers something in Hitomi's ear.
  49.  
  50. “Hey Hisao?” Hitomi asks me as I stand aside while she fishes her friend out. “Could you grab some more towels for me? They're over on the wall behind you.“
  51.  
  52. I give Hitomi a nod, but I can't help but see how the girl she's helping keeps her eyes firmly from looking at me. I busy myself with the towels while my back is turned, taking my time to find the metal rack they're stacked upon neatly. I hear the splashes as Hitomi manhandles her friend back into her chair and pulls it out of the water with her in it. It's pretty clear the girl doesn't want me to watch her as she's being helped into her chair and out of the water, there were already had plenty of towels nearby. I don't know if she's shy or just concerned about her condition, but I understand her not wanting a stranger to be gawking at her at what could be considered a moment of weakness. I remember the looks my parents gave me when they learned about my heart and how much I hated that look of pity they gave me. I imagine that look would only be worse if you were unable to do something as simple as climb out of a pool under your own power. In fact, this if the first time I've met someone at Yamaku who even seemed aware that they had a disability.
  53.  
  54. I take more time than what is necessary to fetch the towels and I don't turn until Hitomi calls me. Turning back, I find the swimmer girl in her chair and out of the water, one of the towels I saw before folded neatly around her legs and draped down over her toes. Now I'm even more aware that me fetching the towels was just an excuse to turn away. I don't mind, though, I would have done so if the girl being helped had simply asked, but it was a way of doing so without admitting to it. Anyway, I'm even more impressed by Hitomi's strength to have pulled both the weight of the chair and the girl out of the water on her own. Even if they had needed my help, given my condition I'm not sure if I would have been much use either way.
  55.  
  56. Hitomi takes the towels from me with a grin and that strange blink-wink thing she does, in on the scheme to get me distracted. She plops them on the bench next to her friend. “You okay now?”
  57. The girl nods, reaching to one of the towels I brought and beginning to dry her long, pale hair with it. “Yeah, I'm good. Are you going to take a shower?”
  58. Hitomi shrugs. “I was just in the water.”
  59. “We've talked about this, swimming pools don't count. I'm still going to take a shower later. Do you know what chlorine can do to your hair?“
  60. “You're just worried about your color fading, princess.“
  61. “Go take a shower, Hitomi. You smell bad,” she says, sounding a little angry. Maybe she's upset that Hitomi brought me along, she's still refusing to look at me.
  62. Hitomi glares at her with her one eye before brushing it off with a grin and shrugging. “Fine, whatever.” Again, she winks at me, temporarily rendering herself blind. “Watch her, okay? Don't let her back in the water or we'll all be late for class.“
  63.  
  64. Hitomi swaggers off towards a door marked 'Girl Showers', leaving me and the swimmer alone.
  65.  
  66. She occupies herself by drying her hair, not giving me much attention. Unlike Hitomi, this girl seems more than happy with the silence or maybe she's still a little sore that I showed up with Hitomi when she was just expecting her friend. I'm still a little put off by her condition but I think it wouldn't be so bad if she hadn't made such a big deal about making sure I wasn't watching when Hitomi got her out of the water. Maybe she's really embarrassed by it, but most of the people at Yamaku seem fine with their own issues. Maybe she's new like me and hasn't adapted to it yet? Or maybe this is still a new thing for her and she's getting used to her limitation. I'm reminded that even given my own problems with my heart, I'm not as bad off as half the people I've met at Yamaku so far.
  67.  
  68. “Sorry about that,” she says, putting the towel in her lap. “I hope Hitomi wasn't dragging you around on my account.“
  69. I turn back to her and notice her very wide grin, big and sharp and dangerously playful. It makes me feel more at ease but at the same time worried, like I was looking at a big, toothy animal about to gobble me up. “No, she wasn't. I was just wandering around and stumbled in on her working out at the gym.“
  70.  
  71. The girl looks a little surprised, the grin turning into a grimace. “Really? I hope you don't make that mistake twice. Hitomi is really picky about being interrupted during her set. It's something we have in common.“
  72. “She didn't seem to mind, though she did hassle me a little over watching her work out.“
  73. The girl grins again and I'm surprised once more by how she can manage to look so friendly and yet so menacing in one gesture at the same time. “We share that trait too. We both like to keep people on their toes.“
  74.  
  75. I feel a little heat rise in my cheeks.
  76.  
  77. The girl holds out her hand towards me with a beaming smile. “My name's Hachisame. Nice to meet you.”
  78.  
  79. I recover a little, surprised by the informality of a handshake and how she introduces herself so frankly. I take her hand in a soft grip, surprised by her own strong grasp for having such tiny hands. “Hisao Nakai.”
  80. “It's nice to meet you, Hisao. You don't mind if I call you Hisao, do you?“
  81. Again, her familiarity takes me by surprise but I kind of like it. It goes a long way to making me feel better about my previous hesitancy. “No, not at all.”
  82. She seems pleased by that because she gives me another of her sharp, toothy grins. “That's good. You seem easy going, I'm glad for that. A lot of people at Yamaku are too formal for me, I'm still getting used to it.“
  83. “Are you new here?”
  84.  
  85. She releases my hand and folds her own in her lap, making a long, curious sound. “I guess you could say that. This is my second year, but you have the look of someone fresh off the boat. I may not get out much, but I haven't seen you before so you must be really new.“
  86.  
  87. I sit down on the bench next to her wheelchair, amused by how she turns my question back at me. “I just arrived a few days ago. I'm still trying to catch my breath.“
  88. “Did you, now? How do you feel about Yamaku so far?”
  89. “It's okay I guess. I'm getting used to it.”
  90.  
  91. She looks me up and down and doesn't even try to hide her judging glances. It seems a little at odds with her wish for privacy getting out of the pool for her to be scanning me in such a detailed way, maybe trying to figure out why I'm at Yamaku. Still, she does it in a manner like she's appraising me rather than judging or looking for flaws.
  92.  
  93. She seems to contemplate whatever it is she saw in me and it must please her since she broadly smiles at the thought. “Well, that's good! We could use some more cute guys like you at Yamaku.“
  94.  
  95. My face turns red again, this time realizing she wasn't looking for a disability, she was checking me out.
  96.  
  97. She must see my expression because she laughs, making small little claps with her dainty hands. “Oh, this is going to be fun! I'm glad Hitomi brought you to me, I wouldn't have missed this for anything.“
  98.  
  99. Wait a minute, is this girl flirting with me?
  100.  
  101. She leans back in her wheelchair, playing with her fingers like some evil manipulator. “So you said you met Hitomi while looking for the workout room?“
  102. “Well, no, I mean, I was just wandering around, taking a look at the rehab area, I guess.“
  103. “Any particular reason?”
  104. “No, not really. Why?”
  105. “Just curious, that's all. You're interesting.” She gives me another one of those lingering glances, like she was examining and sizing me up. This time though I get a little self conscious. She must notice because she stops and smiles again, this time in an apologetic manner. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. Am I making you uncomfortable?“
  106.  
  107. I try to ease her mind. “No, it's not that. It's just....”
  108. “What?”
  109. “You're a little weird.”
  110.  
  111. She gasps, suddenly looking scandalized. “Am not!”
  112. “I don't mean that in a bad way, it's just I'm not sure where you're coming from.“
  113. “I come from Okinawa, but I don't know what that has to do with anything or you thinking I'm weird!“
  114. “What? No, I mean I'm not sure what you're all about, what you're trying to do.“
  115.  
  116. Though growing up on the island may explain her weird habits.
  117.  
  118. “I'm trying to make friends, but you're making it really hard by calling me weird.“
  119. “I'm sorry, but I've never met someone like you before.“
  120. “Now you're complimenting me? You're the weird one.”
  121.  
  122. I laugh from the absurdity of the conversation. This girl moves too fast for me. One minute she's shy, then she's coquettish with me and now we might be having an argument. She doesn't seem able to stick to one setting and leave it at that. I can't tell if she's a scatterbrain or this is just an amusing misunderstanding.
  123.  
  124. “Okay, I'm sorry for calling you weird. I got confused.“
  125. She contemplates it for a moment then nods. “Apology accepted.”
  126. “You have been staring at me a lot.”
  127. “Have I? I do that. I'm just trying to figure out why you're here.“
  128. “I'm here because Hitomi abandoned me.”
  129. “Not here, that's not what I meant. I mean here, at Yamaku. You look fine to me. Maybe a little on the scrawny side.“
  130.  
  131. It's my turn to look shocked. “Isn't there some unspoken rule about this place where you don't ask that question of people?“
  132. “If a rule is unspoken, then it isn't really a rule worth following. If it isn't written down, then you can't be punished for breaking it, am I right?“
  133.  
  134. Maybe technically.
  135.  
  136. “After all,” she continues, “I'm in a wheelchair. Everyone knows why I'm here, I'm at a disadvantage. You appear to be perfectly healthy, so it's only natural for someone who has even a little bit of curiosity to wonder why you're here. Am I right?“
  137.  
  138. I concede a little shrug to her point. “I guess so.”
  139. “Exactly, so you can't really be upset about me asking. This is a school after all, we're supposed to be learning.“
  140. “About school stuff, not about other students.”
  141. “We're supposed to be more social, right? Part of that is learning about the people we meet. How else are we supposed to become friends?“
  142. “Maybe....”
  143. “See? I am right. I'm not being rude, I'm just inquisitive.“
  144.  
  145. She leans back in her chair, watching me very carefully like I was a suspect in a crime. When she starts talking, it's in a clipped voice like she was ticking off a shopping list.
  146.  
  147. “You're very pale and you look like you've lost a lot of weight, so you haven't been active for a while. You've got all your arms and legs and I don't see any scars, so you weren't in an accident recovering. Still, you look like someone who was bed ridden, so you haven't been allowed to be outside until recently. You were looking at the rehab equipment when you ran into Hitomi, so you need to work on your strength, though I doubt you're interested in weight lifting. You don't have the build for it. Hitomi will be very disappointed. More likely you're interested in cardiovascular, which is why she brought you along to the pool. That or she just wanted to annoy me again.“
  148.  
  149. She leans in very close to me and I can't help but lean back and notice the tiny water droplets that sprinkle from her long hair and drop down into the gap of her swimsuit.
  150.  
  151. “The air here is really heavy and humid, isn't it? It's also filled with chlorine, but you aren't wheezing, so it's not your lungs that bother you. My bet is it's something to do with your heart.“
  152.  
  153. I flinch.
  154.  
  155. Her eyes light up and she giggles, losing the disturbingly intense look of concentration on her face, her expression melting into a girlish joy. “I'm right, aren't I?”
  156.  
  157. I'm not sure how to answer her. I'm not certain whether I should be angry with her trying to dig my problems out from me unwillingly or impressed by the way she deduced them.
  158.  
  159. “Don't lie to me, now. It's not nice to lie to girls~.“
  160.  
  161. [] You're right.
  162. []You're wrong.
  163. [X]No comment.
  164.  
  165. I don't want to lie, but neither am I too happy about her being so forward with finding out my condition. “No comment,” I say in a neutral tone.
  166.  
  167. She seems surprised by my answer and leans back, a little pout as she does. “Not going to tell me? That's fine, you can keep your secrets. You're not just cute, you're smart.“
  168. “Thanks. How did you figure out all that stuff about me though?“
  169. “I looked at you. My dad is a lawyer, I got it from him. You'd be surprised by how much you can tell about a person if you actually pay attention. So many people go through life with their eyes closed, they can't see what's in front of them.”
  170.  
  171. That's funny coming from a girl who forgot to take her watch off before jumping in a pool.
  172.  
  173. She leans back and smiles at me and I get the hint that she's impressed. “Now do me,” she says suggestively.
  174. “Excuse me?”
  175. “Go on, guess why I'm at Yamaku.”
  176.  
  177. My eyes dart down to her chair. I don't know what kind of game she's playing, but I feel like it's a trap.
  178. “Come on,” she says, sounding like an impatient child, even hopping in her chair in boredom. “Guess!”
  179.  
  180. “You're in a wheelchair,” I state flatly.
  181. She rolls her eyes and slaps me on the knee. “Of course I am! But why am I in a wheelchair?”
  182.  
  183. I give up trying to figure out what this girl's issue is. The best I can do is play along. “Because you can't walk.”
  184.  
  185. “Wrong!” She says victoriously. To prove her point, she points at her feet. I look down and see her her feet wiggle slightly, though still covered by the towel. Looking back at her face, I see her with that look of intense concentration as she glares down at her toes, tongue slightly sticking out as if it took everything in her power to make her feet move that much. On top of that, it looks like it hurts her to do it, her face tight and expression taut. Still, when she's don, she looks very satisfied with herself for accomplishing what should be such a minor thing like wiggling her big toe.
  186. Even so, again I notice that while she is very proud of her movement, she still refrains from showing me her feet or legs, keeping the towel on at all times.
  187.  
  188. “You have two more tries.”
  189.  
  190. I glance up at her, seeing her eager expression. “I didn't know I had a limit.”
  191. “If you didn't, we'd be here all day. Try again.”
  192.  
  193. I give the girl, her wheelchair and her shark toothed grin another look.
  194. If she can move her feet, she isn't paralyzed, but it looked like it hurt a lot to move even that little bit. Still, I saw she was an excellent swimmer, so she is still pretty mobile. “Did you break your legs?”
  195. “Good idea, but they wouldn't send me to Yamaku for something like that.“
  196.  
  197. Damn. She's right.
  198. “One more.”
  199. “Will you tell me if I get it wrong?”
  200. “You didn't tell me when I got it right.”
  201. “I never said you were right.”
  202. She grins even wider and leans towards me again. “You didn't have to.”
  203.  
  204. I glare at her intensely, trying to catch any clue in this childish game we're playing. She locks eyes with me and if I wasn't so intent on figuring out what her deal is, it could be considered a little too intimate.
  205.  
  206. She keeps getting closer until I can see the tiny droplets of water still clinging to her bronze skin.
  207.  
  208. My concentration is broken by the sound of a door opening. Both me and Hachisame turn to see Hitomi entering the pool area, now in her school uniform, drying her wet hair with a towel and a fresh patch over her eye.
  209.  
  210. She spots me and Hachisame sitting close and facing each other and she glares at her friend. “What are you doing to him?”
  211. Hachisame sits upright very stiffly. “Nothing.”
  212. She looks back and forth between me and her and I feel like we got caught doing something wrong even though I have no idea what it could have been. “Is she bothering you, Hisao?”
  213. “A little bit.”
  214. Hachisame looks shocked, but the look makes me smile.
  215. “She does that to people, it's why I'm her only friend.“
  216. “You're my only friend because everyone else is boring.“
  217.  
  218. Without a word, Hitomi steps around Hachisame's chair and starts to wheel her away. She whines in protest as she turns in the chair to face me. “I wasn't done with him yet!”
  219. “Yes, you are. You're taking a shower and you're going to class. I'm not going to get yelled at again because you made me late. I'm trying not to be a truant anymore.“
  220.  
  221. Hachisame seems to accept her loss only begrudgingly and gives me another one of her grins which she has in such abundance. “You still have one more guess, Hisao. Use it wisely.“
  222. Hitomi turns and gives me a glance. “Sorry to cut out, Hisao, but we have to get going. Don't want to be late.“ She winks at me. ”Maybe we'll see you around.“
  223.  
  224. “Yeah. See you later.”
  225.  
  226. Hitomi wheels Hachisame out while the girl in the chair waves at me. “Bye, Hisao! Don't be a stranger!”
  227.  
  228. The two strange girls leave the pool leaving me alone and perplexed.
  229.  
  230. I guess disabilities are the least odd thing about people at Yamaku.
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