CHAPTER 55: SPLASHES, SNACKS, AND SCANDALOUS ACCIDENTS!

Sora clung to me like a cat tossed into a lake. Not that I was complaining—her arms looped around my neck, her body pressed tight, and her soaked swimsuit left approximately zero room for holy thoughts. My fingers gripped her waist, purely out of necessity. Definitely survival. Not desire.

Probably.

"Sora," Rin called from the edge, arms crossed. "Rule number one: no excessive clinging."

"I can’t swim!" she shot back, still holding on to me like I was her life raft. "He’s my... flotation device."

"I’m starting to think you planned this," Ayame said, narrowing her eyes. "You organized the party and conveniently forgot how to swim?"

Sora pouted, wet lashes fluttering. "Are you suggesting I used party planning as a covert seduction tactic?"

"No," Ayame deadpanned. "I’m saying that’s exactly what you did."

Mei floated by on a giant inflatable duck, casually twirling a pool dagger. "If anyone’s breaking rules, I wanna break them with flair. Ren, hold this." She tossed the dagger at me.

"What?!"

It thudded into the water next to us with a sparkle and a suspicious squeak.

"Mei!" Rin snapped. "No weapons in the pool!"

"It’s ceremonial!" Mei protested. "It blesses the water. And scares off pervy thoughts. Maybe."

"Definitely doesn’t," I muttered, as Sora’s curves continued brushing against my arm.

The others were splashing around now—Ayame doing elegant backstrokes, Elira floating lazily while shielding her eyes from the sun, Rin kicking off the edge like a sleek little dolphin assassin.

And here I was.

Being used as a human pool noodle.

Not that I was going to stop her.

"So," Sora whispered, her lips way too close to my ear, "what would happen if I... accidentally slipped again?"

"Sora," I warned, voice low. "I’m still recovering from earlier."

Her smile was innocent. Her body language was not.

Then, as if summoned by fate itself—or possibly Rin’s growing headache—someone called out from behind us.

"Hey..."

We all turned.

Akane stood at the edge of the pool, wrapped in a towel, eyes hesitant but soft. She looked better—still pale, but no longer avoiding us. Her hair was slightly damp, probably from a shower. She took a step closer.

"You’re here," I breathed.

Sora let go of me gently, catching the shift in my voice. She gave me a small nudge toward the edge.

Akane looked down at her reflection in the pool. "You guys look... like you’re having fun."

"We were waiting for you," Mei piped up from her duck, doing a graceful (and unnecessary) spin. "Also, Rin banned potion ingredients. So you’re safe."

"Relatively," Rin muttered.

Ayame swam over, resting her arms on the side. "You can sit out if you want. No pressure."

Akane hesitated.

Then, slowly, she pulled off the towel and stepped down into the water.

The pool fell quiet. Even the duck stopped squeaking.

Her swimsuit was simple. Modest, even. But on her, it felt like the temperature spiked. Or maybe that was just me.

She waded in carefully, letting the water rise to her waist, then chest. Her eyes met mine. She didn’t look away.

Sora gently pushed me toward her. "Go," she whispered.

I didn’t hesitate.

We met halfway.

For a moment, we just stood there, the water swirling around us, the others giving us space—except Mei, who tried to paddle closer but was intercepted by Rin with a splash attack.

"I’m sorry," Akane murmured. "About everything."

"You don’t have to be. We both—"

"I wanted to be close to you, Ren. That wasn’t the potion."

My throat tightened. I stepped closer.

"It’s okay," I said. "Just... don’t lock yourself away again."

She nodded, then leaned in, her forehead resting against mine.

A loud splash interrupted us as Mei bellyflopped nearby. "Sorry! Emotion sensors overloaded!"

"MEI!"

"Just breaking the tension!" she grinned. "Which, by the way, is thicker than Sora’s thighs!"

Sora choked. Rin smacked her with a floatie. Ayame dunked herself under water to hide her laugh.

But I didn’t stop smiling.

Because for the first time in what felt like forever, everyone was here. Together.

Even if some of them were plotting dagger-based pool rituals.

---

After the emotional dip with Akane, I thought we might bask in quiet, peaceful bonding for once.

Ha.

"Let’s play tag!" Mei yelled, pointing her dagger skyward like she’d declared war.

Sora immediately swam behind me. "Not it."

"Elira’s it!" Ayame grinned.

Elira blinked. "Wait—why me?!"

"Because you’re glowing and suspiciously dry," Rin said, flicking water at her. "You’ve been floating like a princess on a royal cruise."

"I was enjoying serenity!"

"Well, enjoy tagging serenity into chaos," I said.

And chaos indeed followed.

Elira lunged into the water with a splash, surprisingly fast for someone who looked like she belonged on a silk pillow. Rin shot off like a torpedo. Mei dove like she was trying out for the Olympics. Akane took the strategic "pretend I’m stretching" route. Sora hid behind my back again.

Which meant I was suddenly the biggest target.

"Ren!" Elira shouted, grinning. "You’re next!"

"Wait, wait—"

Too late.

She tagged me. The cool slap of her hand against my arm sealed my fate.

"Reeennn’s iittt~!" Mei sang like it was a death sentence.

"I will remember this betrayal," I muttered.

Then I lunged.

Sora screeched and ducked under. Rin spun out of reach like a ninja eel. I made a beeline for Ayame, who was treading just a bit slower.

"Got you—"

She twisted just as I lunged, and instead of tagging her arm...

My hand landed directly on her chest.

I froze.

She froze.

The water didn’t.

It rippled. Loudly.

I stared at her. She stared at me.

We both blinked. Ayame’s face slowly turned bright red.

"I—uh—I WAS GOING FOR THE SHOULDER," I blurted, pulling my hand back like it had touched lava.

"You... definitely missed."

There was a long silence.

Then Mei shouted from across the pool, "SURE, REN! SHOULDER GRABS SURE ARE ROUND THESE DAYS!"

Rin let out a deep sigh. "This is why we can’t have normal pool games."

"I didn’t mean to—!"

Ayame covered her face. "It’s fine! It’s a game! Just—just don’t dive that aggressively again!"

Akane narrowed her eyes. "So this is why you were so eager to play tag."

"I WASN’T!"

The game was mercifully called off.

"Okay!" Sora said, clapping her hands, "new game, before Ren accidentally discovers more anatomy."

"Singing challenge!" Mei chirped.

"Singing?" I echoed.

"We shuffle music," Rin explained, "you sing along, and when it cuts off, you keep going with the lyrics. If you mess up, you get splashed."

"And who controls the playlist?"

"I do," Rin said flatly.

"...We’re all doomed."

She hit play on a waterproof speaker floating by the edge.

The first song: Alan Walker – "Faded."

"Where are you now..." Ayame sang beautifully, swaying slightly.

"...Where are you nowww that I neeeed youuu—" The music stopped.

"...I-I... am..." she faltered.

Splash! Water attack.

"Close," Rin noted. "But wrong song continuation."

Next up: Ed Sheeran – "Perfect."

Sora sang it perfectly.

Elira nailed hers like she’d trained for a royal karaoke tournament.

Then it was my turn.

Rin grinned. "Let’s go with something easy."

"Easy for you!"

The Weeknd – "Blinding Lights."

"I said, ooooh, I’m blinded by the light—"

Music stopped.

"I can’t sleep untiiil I..." I hesitated. "Feel your... mmm... light?"

"WRONG!" Mei blasted me with a floatie cannon full of water. "It’s ’I feel your touch’!"

"I WAS CLOSE!"

"Nope," Rin smirked. "Sing again."

Dua Lipa – "Levitating."

"I got you... moonlight... you’re my starlight—" it paused.

"Uh... Baby come on dance with—"

"WRONG VERSE!" Splash!

Sora giggled from behind a noodle. "Ren, you’re bad at this."

"Because it’s rigged!"

"Maybe if your brain wasn’t still focused on Ayame’s boobs," Mei suggested sweetly.

"MEI!"

Ayame coughed and looked away, face pink again.

More songs followed.

I kept failing.

More water punishment.

Rin was merciless. Akane got a few wrong and was gently splashed. Mei purposely failed so she could splash others anyway. Sora hit every lyric perfectly like she’d been practicing.

And me?

By the end, I was soaked, drowning in shame, and officially traumatized by music.

"Okay," Rin announced. "That’s enough torture. Who wants snacks?"

"Yes," I wheezed.

Yes," I wheezed, spitting out pool water. "I want snacks. And revenge. But mostly snacks."

"I second the snacks," Ayame said, still blushing. "Preferably something not soaked in humiliation."

Sora raised her hand weakly from behind her float. "I want cookies. And a towel. But mostly cookies."

"I’ll eat anything that isn’t Ren’s dignity," Mei snorted, loading another water balloon anyway.

"Put that down, Mei."

"Why? It’s not food."

"Because I see that evil twinkle in your eye!"

Mei grinned. "It’s not evil. It’s... mischievous zest."

Elira floated toward the edge like a weary sea queen. "Can someone prepare me a fruit platter with minimal splash damage?"

Rin pointed toward the snack tray by the patio. "Help yourselves."

Akane finally sat up on her float, her hair still damp and clinging to her shoulders. "I made spicy chicken skewers earlier."

Everyone froze.

"Wait... you cooked?" Ayame blinked.

"Since when do you cook?" I asked.

"I always cook," Akane huffed. "You’re just too busy nearly drowning in boobs to notice."

"That was one time!"

"ONE TOO MANY," Sora and Mei shouted in unison.

Rin raised an eyebrow. "So... are we getting snacks, or just roasting Ren all day?"

"I vote for both," said Mei cheerfully. "Roast chicken and roast Ren."

"Okay," I muttered, dragging myself out of the pool, "from now on, I’m only joining chess tournaments. No water. No singing. No accidental groping."

Sora handed me a towel. "So... no more pool parties?"

I hesitated, then looked at all of them. The dripping hair. The laughter. The teasing. The soft smiles and splashes.

"...Maybe one more."

Ayame smirked. "And next time, maybe don’t go full grabby-hands."

"It was an accident!"

Rin tossed me a grape. "A delicious, scandalous accident."

Mei leaned over and whispered behind her hand, "If you ever need help ’accidentally’ grabbing someone again, just let me know. I’ll guide your hands."

"MEI!"

She just winked.

"I want to splash Ren one more time," Mei yelled, already loading her water bazooka.

"NO."

She missed.

Elira hit me with a sneak attack instead.

Sora snorted.

Ayame laughed.

And Akane smiled softly from her float.

Even if I was getting drowned in the name of rhythm, I wouldn’t trade this chaos for anything.

---