Tsundere Swimmer ( Iwatobi Swim Club x Kuudere)

Chapter 9

Ren's POV

 I got my math done,or to be specific shark boy whizzed through it for me after I sort-of threatened him. I'm fortunate that the rain didn't go on for more than half an afternoon,otherwise half my apartment would probably be infested with ants or some crazy thing after they left. 

However though,there was practice tomorrow. I kept running what I'll do over and over in my head,unable to fall asleep. My phone suddenly vibrated,and then my ringtone played. In the middle of the night.

..Let's say I'm going to be officially physic if it's related to the swim club.

I fumbled around in the dark,my fingers grazing the top of my chest-of-drawers for my phone,like a blind person. Alarm clock,book,cup...phone! I grabbed it and answered the call. 

"Hello?"

"Um,Ren-chan?"

Nobody addresses me like that,except..

Well I'm physic.

"Nagisa? Are you ill? Do you need the doctor? Nobody in their right mind calls at 1 a.m. in the morning! Don't be daft! Besides,where did you get my number?" I screamed into the phone angrily.

"Oh,heheh,I had a little help from Sou-chan. And I uh,wanted to say that I created a group chat with Rin-chan,Sou-chan,Ai-chan,Momo-chan,Mako-chan,Haru-chan,Rei-chan,Gou-chan,you,and me!" Nagisa said sheepishly from over the line. I could just picture him lying on his bed,phone by his ear,scratching his head with his finger as he confessed his "crime".

"At 1 a.m.?" I lowered my voice to a dangerous whisper.

"Well you see,I--"

"Prepare for hell tomorrow." I snarled nastily and hung up without a word more.

Well,I couldn't sleep anyway,so I guess the call didn't make any difference. Still though. Those people just defy logic. Well,Rei certainly sticks to theory and books,Makoto's ... normal. I guess. The others I'm not sure.

Like being angry at someone for getting hit by a softball when it happens all the time..

Like prank-calling your friend every five minutes,saying nothing then hanging up,thinking it's fun...

Like reciting chants at you when you just met them...

Like that obsession for free,water and mackerel. Heck he can be defined by those three words...

And then like calling people at 1 a.m.

I grouchily fell back into my bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow,and I should get rest,seeing as I can personally slaughter a man when I don't have enough sleep. How did I know? I'm physic,remember?

---Timeskip,next day---

Third Person POV

   Ren heard a tinkling noise coming from my pocket as she walked briskly into Iwatobi High. For a moment Ren wondered who it was,but as she pulled her cellphone out of her bag,she exhaled and,irritated,proceeded to stuff the electronic back into it. 

"Ren-chan!" Nagisa called,his usual cheerful smile lighting up his features and going too well with his bright yellow hair. That smile was a little more meek today though. He probably knew what was coming for him.

"Hazuki,I'm not going to tolerate you calling me at 1 a.m. As a result," Ren straightened up and swept a stray strand of hair under her bobby pin,"You. Are going to face a punishment."

"Nagisa-kun,you called Ren-senpai at 1 a.m.?" Rei gaped. 

"He did,Ryugazuki. And he texted me to say good morning even though it'll just be a mere 30 seconds later when he can do it himself personally by talking. " Ren said sharply.

"Now back to you,hamster. Punishment will be meted out,as I said."

"You sound like a teacher,Ren-cha OUCH!"

"Drop the -chan or I'll do it again. Wise words of the day: Sometimes it's just better to shut up." Ren advised. She'd just rapped Nagisa on the head with her knuckles. Sure,it didn't look too painful,but afterwards it stings,and it doesn't usually just ebb away in a matter of minutes.

Ren was about to turn her back on Rei and Nagisa,then she glanced at Nagisa,the tiniest bit of worry flashing through her otherwise stony face. Her lips were parted just the smallest fraction as if she was battling between saying something and not. Her eyes lingered on Nagisa just long enough to say,"Hey,Hazuki. I won't leave the chat group,I guess as long as it's used to communicate practice timings." 

"And not to say good morning." Ren joked,forcing a seemingly natural,however small smile that played humorously on her lips.

Nagisa grinned,and whined,"Call me Nagisa."

"We're not that close" was what Ren wanted to say,but she couldn't afford another cover-up for another mistake. So she answered with a sensible,diplomatic "Yeah. I'll see."

As Ren drew further away from the corridor in which she met Rei and Nagisa,her eyes lowered,looking down at her white canvas shoes,her back hunched so that from afar,her figure made her look like she was the same height as almost all of the other girls. It may look normal,but nobody in Iwatobi has gotten close enough to Ren to notice that she always upholds her arrogant,"ice queen" aura,her head held high and tilted just a couple of degrees to the right,her nose in the air,as if she was looking down,or a better word,scoffing at something. 

Nobody figured it out,because nobody was either gutsy or curious enough to just press a hand onto that ice coating and melt it.

A small hint. Refer back to the second last sentence of the description,would you?

She's waiting.