NOVEL WEB Chapter 18: Pool day! (2)
The tension in the air was palpable as Yuto and Ryuuen locked gazes, each refusing to back down in the face of the other's challenge. And as Albert loomed menacingly before him, Yuto remained undaunted. Sudo meanwhile, had a episode of reactions. First he called the Class A's leader a lolli and then proceeded to make fun of Class C's leader. It was safe to say that, Sudo was in dismay as his mouth was practically touching the ground!
As Yuto was about to engage in combat. Another fimillar voice stopped him. "What's all the fuss out here?"
Yuto looked to his right to see Manabu looking at all of them.
Yuto smiled and replied, "Nothing happening here brother-in-law! we were just playing. Isn't that right lolli-chan?"
Arisu smilied and nodded while the others looked startled by Yuto calling Manabu his brother-in-law! "Closer than a dog I see..." Ryuuen thought. While Sudo looked devestated! 'I wish I could call the student council president that.' he thought while holding back tears. That's when they heard a commotion. "Look there!"
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Horikita had just given a speech about reaching class A as everyone appluaded. The loudest of them all was Yuto himself! "What a speech! If only it was so cringe! Doesn't matter, it's still MY beloved that said it. It was lovely!"
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"Is that why you had to give me that attention drawing speech?" Horikita questioned Ayanokoji, who simply nodded in response. Yuto interrupted, "EHH! Those disgusting bottomfeeders resulted in that beautiful speech?"
Ayanokoji nodded once again, and suggested Horikita go for a swim, confusion clouded her expression. Before she could respond, Ayanokoji's swift action sent her plunging into the pool with a furious glare directed at him. In a swift retaliation, Horikita pulled Ayanokoji in as payback, her anger palpable as she turned her glare towards Yuto, who couldn't contain his laughter, clutching his stomach.
Suddenly, a somber Sudo approached Yuto from behind, his tone dark as he spoke. "Now you're the only one who isn't wet," he said before giving Yuto an unexpected push into the pool.
As Yuto descended into the pool, the world around him began to blur and twist, like a painting being warped by unseen hands. The vibrant orange sky above morphed into a sickly greenish-blue hue, casting an eerie pall over the surroundings. The clear water turned murky and opaque, transforming the pool into a dark abyss.
His hands, normally steady and sure, felt strangely foreign to him as he reached out into the distorted depths. They appeared smaller, more childlike, as if he had regressed back to a time long forgotten. Each movement felt sluggish and heavy, as though he were fighting against an invisible current dragging him down.
Memories flooded Yuto's mind, fragments of his past swirling in a chaotic whirlwind. He saw flashes of himself as a young boy, alone and afraid, reaching out desperately for a guiding hand that was forever out of reach. He desperately reached his hand out to a shadow of a person.
"PAPAAA!" he cried out, the word torn from his lips like a desperate plea. But there was no response, only the deafening silence of his own thoughts echoing in his ears.
He jolted awake, his hand still outstretched as he took in his surroundings. His friends appeared relaxed, but Yuto remained visibly shaken. Sudo's relieved expression stood out, drawing the ire of the others as they scolded him for his reckless actions.
Yuto turned to Ichinose, curiosity gleaming in his eyes as he sought an explanation for the chaotic events that had unfolded.
"What exactly happened?" he inquired, his voice tinged with a mix of confusion and concern.
Ichinose's warm smile dissappered as she recounted the sequence of events with vivid detail. "Well, when Sudo-kun pushed you into the pool, you started flailing," she began, her words punctuated by animated gestures. "At first, everyone thought you were just joking around, especially since it was only a 6-foot-deep pool. But then the flailing stopped abruptly, and we waited for you to pop out of the water and laugh it off. However, you never surfaced, and that's when Horikita-san sprung into action and pulled you out of the pool before things took a dangerous turn. We were all surprised to realize that you weren't joking when you mentioned having child trauma."
Yuto absorbed her explanation with a nod of understanding, a sense of gratitude welling up within him. He turned to Horikita with a warm smile, his eyes reflecting genuine appreciation.
"Thank you, Suzune-chan," he said softly, his words filled with sincerity.
Horikita's cheeks flushed a bright shade of red as she nodded grudgingly, her usual stoic facade momentarily softened by Yuto's heartfelt gratitude.
Turning his attention to Ike and Yamauchi, Yuto couldn't help but notice the somber expressions on their faces. Sensing their underlying sadness, he couldn't resist probing for an explanation.
"Why do you guys look so sad?" he inquired, his concern evident in his voice.
Before Ike or Yamauchi could respond, Ayanokoji interjected with a deadpan expression, delivering a bombshell revelation that left Yuto reeling.
"Because Horikita kissed you," Ayanokoji stated matter-of-factly, his words hanging heavily in the air.
Yuto's face instantaneously became beet-red as he instinctively touched his lips before looking at a flushed Horikita. He lost consciousness due to shock.
"Oh no, he is having hallucinations again." Ayanokoji remarked calmly, his expression unchanged.
Horikita, her embarrassment reaching its peak, marched over to Ayanokoji and delivered a swift punch to his stomach, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment.
"IT WAS CPR! YOU GET IT? CPR DAMN IT!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with frustration and embarrassment. Her stoic face cracking as she screamed.
Ayanokoji nodded in understanding, his composure unshaken as he absorbed the scolding. Meanwhile, the others, except for the boys, couldn't contain their laughter at the comedic turn of events, their chuckles echoing through the air as the tension of the moment dissipated.
While everyone else seemed preoccupied with the lighthearted atmosphere, Ayanokoji couldn't shake the significance of Yuto's cry for his father before he woke up.
'No one is mentioning it,' Ayanokoji mused quietly to himself, his expression unreadable as he observed the interactions unfolding around him. 'But Yuto shouted 'papa' before he woke up.'
The implications of Yuto's subconscious utterance weighed heavily on Ayanokoji's mind. He couldn't help but wonder about the parallels between Yuto's childhood and his own. Was Yuto's father as enigmatic and manipulative as his own? What secrets lay buried beneath the facade of Yuto's cheerful demeanor?
As he contemplated these questions, Ayanokoji's curiosity was piqued further. "Kazuki Yuto... Who are you?" he murmured softly, the words barely audible amidst the surrounding chatter.
Lost in his thoughts, Ayanokoji remained on the periphery of the group, a silent observer amidst the chaos, his mind consumed by the enigma of Yuto's past and the mysteries that shrouded his true identity.