The Heat of Summer (MikaYuu)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ - ᴍᴇᴇᴛᴜᴘ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴡɪᴍ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ

"What do you mean, I can't get in?"

The lifeguard on the other side of the reception booth chewed her gum with closed lips, looking both uncomfortable and taxed. She rapped her pink fingernails on the counter with one hand, flicking at her choppy blond pigtails with the other, her dark blue eyes staring intently at the disgruntled boy in front of her.

"Listen," she said. "You don't have a pass. Even if you did, the pool's closed for swim team. Didn't you read the sign? It's, like, right there." 

She pointed at the placard fixated to the bottom of the stand, magenta bangle catching her wrist from the movement. Sure enough, in bold letters, it read: "Ashborne Pool A unavailable to the public until noon, or until the Ashborne Wildfire swim meet otherwise terminates."   

It was currently 9:00 a.m., and cheering could clearly be heard from within the vicinity. It, along with an announcer's voice and the occasional buzzing sound, had been discernable from up to five minutes away. Yuu had put away Google Maps at that point, simply following the noise.

"I know it's a swim meet, that's why I'm here." He gestured emphatically with his hands to stress his point. "I wanna talk to that Coach Shinya guy!" 

The lifeguard raised an eyebrow, as if surprised he actually knew someone on the team. "Well, sorry, but spectators ain't allowed in, either, 'less they arrive with a team member. Guess you'll just have to wait on a bench or something till they're done."

"And when will that be?" 

She glanced behind her, where a sliver of the pool's edge was visible. "Pretty sure they're near halftime right now, so probably, like, 11:00."

"Ugh," he groaned. "Fine."

He'd waited three hours for Guren yesterday, so he figured he could last two today. At least this time he'd sprayed himself with insect repellent and sunscreen before leaving. He'd even brought a backpack with a few water bottles and snacks inside.

Taking the lifeguard's advice, Yuu walked the small distance to a nearby bench and sat down. He  listened to the cheers die down into the hum of idle chatter, an amplified voice announcing the start of halftime. Upbeat music began to play from a stereophonic speaker, causing the air to pound and pulse.

He tried to occupy himself with his phone, scrolling halfheartedly through a monthly shounen manga, but when the music cut off and what sounded like a vigorous shouting match commenced, he couldn't sit still any longer.

Yuu traversed the rocky blue sidewalk, turning a corner to expose the right side of the pool's metal fence. Aside from the occasional shrub, it was free of any hindrances, so the boy was easily able to peek through the gaps. He felt a little awkward standing there behind bars, but it quickly passed as he engrossed himself in the scene before him. 

He was facing the short edge of the rectangular pool. Considering the diving area adjoined to it, it must have been the deep end. But the familiar safety rope separating those two areas wasn't the only divider in the pool; multicolored ropes were pulled taut down the length of it, splitting the pool into six lanes. A few feet over the water's surface hung a sequence of white, yellow, and green triangular flags.

But the odd layout of the pool wasn't what stood out to Yuu—it was the sheer amount of people there. There must have been at least two hundred individuals scattered across the premises, crowding the deck and grassy areas beyond it. Some were lounging on folding chairs or towels, others lined up at what appeared to be a concession stand, and others still flitting to and fro like worker ants. A fair share of them were fully clothed, and he noticed that everyone wearing a bathing suit was either a child or a teen.