Chapter Text
Shidou Ryusei had always loved swimming. No particular reason, she just loved the feeling of the water splitting when she swam in a simple freestyle. She loved it even when she was just at the pool, playing around with friends, and not actually competing.
Today was one of those days. Her close friend, Bachira had asked if she wanted to swim at a nearby pool. Blinded by the mere upbringing of going to the pool, she agreed. She had frequented this pool so often that basically all of the lifeguards and other frequent visitors knew her fairly well compared to your average stranger.
Just as Shidou was getting up to put on her bathing suit, her phone buzzed where it sat on her bright pink, fluffy duvet. Quickly peeking over, she saw that it was a text from Bachira. She silently prayed that the girl didn’t cancel on her, but even then, she would’ve just gone alone.
3:27 PM
Bachi 🐝 : yoyo im leaving rn i’ll be there in like 15 ish minutes
Bachi🐝: be ready ღ(ゝ◡ゝ)ノ♡
You: dont worry babes ill be readyyy i would never turn down a chance to get wet
You: for the record you can take that sentence in any way you want and my point will still stand
Bachi 🐝 : LOLZ im gonna take that in the way i know you meant it
Letting out a small chuckle at her phone, Shidou tossed it back down and scurried to her wardrobe, looking for just the right bikini for the occasion. Having gone swimming incredibly often, she owned more than enough bathing suits for just one person. Sifting through which one she felt like wearing that day took quite a while.
After throwing aside her favorite black bikini, a neon pink one, and a pastel yellow one piece, she finally decided on a pink leopard print bikini which could hardly even count as something to wear out in public.
The solid color of the swimsuit was a light pink, and the actual pattern was a slightly darker pink. The top was held together by an extremely small string which tied behind her neck and back. The bottoms were just as if not worse than the top. Tied up at the sides, it had the same pattern as the top piece, and it practically showed off her entire ass.
Looking at herself once more in the mirror, she strode over to her vanity and tied up her hair in what she normally had it up in; two spiky pigtails sprouting from the top of her head. She grabbed some shorts as a small cover-up, threw them on, and then packed a small beach bag with her phone, tanning oil, sunglasses, some snacks, a few bottles of water, and a nice fluffy towel.
Triple checking that she had everything she needed, she walked outside of her room and sat on the couch, awaiting Bachira’s text that would signal she was there.
After a few minutes of scrolling through Instagram, she got the text she was waiting for.
3:43 PM
Bachi 🐝 : IM HEREEEE
You: COMINGGG ＼(≧ᴗ≦)ﾉ
Grabbing her bag and slipping on her slides at the genkan by the front door to her apartment, she walked outside and locked the door. She walked down a few flights of stairs and immediately saw Bachira’s car in the parking lot. She could see through the windshield that she was on her phone but perked up when she saw Shidou running towards the small yellow convertible Volkswagen Beetle.
Quickly sliding into the passenger seat, she placed her bag down on the floorboards and looked over at Bachira on her right. To say that she was beaming was an understatement.
“Oh my gosh, I’m so excited Shidou you have literally no idea!” She leaned over and grabbed Shidou’s broad shoulders, shaking her back and forth in pure excitement. “I haven’t been swimming in so long!”
Shidou placed her own hands on Bachira’s shoulders to calm her down. “I’m crazy super excited too, but you actually gotta start driving if we wanna get in the water.”
Without saying a word, Bachira started backing out of the parking lot and exited the apartment complex.
Bachira was decked out in a white one-piece swimsuit with a small triangle cut out just beneath her breasts. She kept her rather short hair down, and a cute straw hat adorned her head.
“You said you’ve been to this place before?” Bachira asked while switching lanes, not actually looking away from the road.
“Oh, hell yeah. I think I honestly go here at least 4 times a week,” Shidou looks down at her neon pink acrylic nails while she brags about her popularity at the pool they were going to visit, “Seriously, I think that I can name every single person there when we walk in the gate.”
Bachira laughed. “Riiiight, we’ll see!”
The rest of the drive consisted of singing along to the radio and pointing out funny billboards on the side of the road.
Eventually, they reached the public pool. Pulling into a parking space that was nicely shaded by a nearby tree, Shidou climbed out of the passenger seat and grabbed her bag, quickly taking out her sunglasses and placing them on her head.
As they walked up to the gate of the pool, Shidou was hit by the all too familiar scent of chlorine. How she loved it. Holding the gate open for Bachira as she walked in, she looked around the sides of the pool, trying to see if she noticed anyone. A few families that Shidou recognized, and also some other girls her age that she once hung out with when she came by herself when Karasu had to cancel on her to hang out with her girlfriend, Otoya.
Giving them a small wave, she led Bachira over to the table and chairs she always sat at. They both placed their stuff down and Shidou almost immediately was taking off the shorts she had on and kicked off her slides.
She noticed that Bachira had her eyes on something, and when Shidou turned to see what she was looking at, her jaw dropped. Literally.
The thing, or rather, the person she was looking at was the lifeguard, sitting up in the tall chair with life-savers hanging on it. The actual lifeguard was like nothing Shidou had ever seen. She had short, reddish-brown hair that was spiked up towards the back, and it looked like her short, blunt bangs were brushed up, showing off her forehead. She was wearing a regular red one-piece bathing suit, with the word ‘lifeguard’ across the chest. She couldn’t exactly make out her facial features. One, because she was too far away, and two, the lifeguard was wearing black sunglasses and was partially hidden under a large umbrella.
“Shidou? Hello? Stop staring, she can probably see you!”
Oh, when did Bachira get in front of her?
She was waving her hand in front of Shidou’s face, trying to get her attention.
Abruptly snapping out of her trance, she looked down at the girl in front of her.
“Who is that? Do you know her?” Shidou immediately asked, ignoring Bachira’s pointed stare.
Bachira crossed her arms and shook her head. “I was getting to that, but someone was too busy drooling to hear what I had to say!” Bachira feigned offense before leaning in close. “I’m not sure if it’s her, but she looks awfully close to the pictures of Rin’s sister that I saw.”
No way.
No way, right?
She was Rin’s sister?
The same Rin that Shidou had gotten into countless fist fights within the school locker rooms before gym class?
Well, shit.
“She’s so hot.” Shidou blabbered. “Which is crazy to even say because if she is Rinrin’s older sister then I’ll be shocked. Rin isn’t even half as hot as her, and I can’t even see her whole face.”
Almost as if on cue, the lifeguard looked over in Shidou and Bachira’s direction and took her sunglasses off to get a better look. She glared before putting them back on and continued monitoring those swimming in the pool.
“She just looked over here.” Shidou was dumbfounded, even though she couldn’t see her all that well still, those piercing teal eyes, too similar to Rin’s, were just staring through her very soul.
“Yeah, I saw it too. She probably thinks you’re a perv now, good luck with even getting her number!” Bachira giggled. She took off her sunhat and flip-flops and started applying some sunscreen.
Getting her number?
Who did Bachira think she was talking to?
“Well, are you getting in the water? I wanna swim!”
Bachira latched onto Shidou’s arm and tugged, trying to drag her towards the very appealing swimming pool.
But this lifeguard was impossibly more appealing than any body of water Shidou had ever seen.
The only body she wanted right now was the one of the lifeguard sitting up all high and mighty.
Shidou placed a hand on Bachira’s face, pushing her back so she could talk to her.
“I have an idea, Bachira,” Shidou grinned, “I want you to go up to that lifeguard and talk me up to her, then she’ll have no choice but to give me her number!”
Bachira stared, unimpressed. “If you want her number so bad, just go ask for it yourself. I’m not your little minion!”
Shidou thought about it for a moment. Sure, she had been able to sway many people’s hearts to get plenty of people’s numbers, but this lifeguard, whatever her name is, didn’t look like she’d give in too easily. It may take just a bit more convincing than normal for Shidou to get that number.
But damn, she was determined.
“Okay, whatever. Do you know anything about her at all? Has Rin ever talked about her to you before?”
Bachira pondered. “Only thing that Rin has said is that she can be a total dick, I don’t think they’re on very good terms, but again, I’m not totally sure about that.” The shorter girl looked back up at the lifeguard sitting on the chair. “I don’t even know her name, Rin always just calls her ‘shitty older sister.’”
Shidou groaned, that good for nothing Rin was useless even when she wasn’t here. “I’m gonna get that goddamn number Bachira, just you wait.”
Bachira tried to reach out to grab her, but Shidou was already marching towards the side of the pool where the lifeguard sat.
“What about swimming- oh, whatever, you suck!” Bachira pouted before flopping down in one of the seats and crossing her arms.
As Shidou strutted up to the lifeguard’s chair, said lifeguard glanced down. Shidou leaned one shoulder against the white support beam and gazed out to the pool, seeing all the children and families having fun swimming together. Shidou could feel the lifeguard’s eyes staring down at her, only sometimes looking up to do a once-over of those in the water.
“So, what made you wanna be a lifeguard, huh?” Shidou looked up, right into those black shades that were, unfortunately, obscuring the pretty girl’s eyes.
The lifeguard scrunched her face up, not in disgust, but like she was surprised to be getting talked to. “Why should I tell you?” She took off her sunglasses and folded them so they were hooked on her bathing suit.
Even her voice was sexy!
Shidou felt like she had just won the lottery.
Staring up into those eyes that she could now see in full, never looking away once, she replied. “I mean, I come to this pool multiple times a week, I know the majority of the people here, and I’ve never seen your face before. So I’d like to get to know you better.” She fluttered her long, blonde eyelashes, almost as if to enchant the girl. “Why don’t we start with names? My name is Shidou Ryusei.”
The lifeguard didn’t even blink. “Itoshi Sae.”
Now we’re getting somewhere.
“Say, Sae-chan, ” The freshly made nickname rolled off her tongue like melted butter, “How old are you exactly?” Better to start off with age before trying anything funny. If Rin was 16, Sae couldn’t be much older.
“18. You look to be the same age.” Sae wasn’t even looking at her now, too focused on making sure nobody was drowning.
“You’d be correct on that.” Shidou looked out as well, noticing from the corner of her eyes Bachira sitting on her chair scrolling through her phone, still pouting.
She’ll get back to her, just as soon as she gets Sae’s number.
“What are you trying to achieve by speaking with me? I have a job to be doing.” Sae glared down, but only for a moment.
Shidou grinned. This is just the question she was looking for to bring it up. “I was just hoping I could get your number. I’ve never seen you before and shit, I’m sure you didn’t see, but my jaw literally dropped.”
Sae glanced over at her, clearly unimpressed by the attempt at flirting.
She didn’t say anything.
“When does your shift end?” Shidou tried again, she wouldn’t leave this place unless she got that number of hers.
Or if Sae forcefully made her leave, which she’d do in a heartbeat if Sae really wanted her gone.
Sae sighed, “It ends at 6:30.” She looked over at Shidou, raking her vision up and down her body slowly as if observing if she was even worth it. “If you’re still here, I’ll consider it. But no promises.”
Shidou absolutely beamed. She had done it (sort of)!
And 6:30, that was only like two more hours! She could definitely wait that long!
“If it’s for you, I think I could wait all damn day.” She gave an exaggerated wink at Sae.
“We’ll see. Now go on, before I change my mind.”
She gave a quick thank you before turning off and leaving to go back to her friend, and if she saw Sae’s gaze fall down to her butt, she didn’t say anything.
Shidou practically skipped back to her seat. Bachira having obviously noticed her brazen happiness, asked about what had happened.
“So, how did it go? Was it worth ditching your best friend for some girl you don’t even know?” She kept her arms crossed and turned her head, still looking at Shidou.
Shidou plopped down, crossed her legs, and rested her arms on the back of the chair. “Bachira, my dear. I’m getting that fucking number.”
Bachira shivered. “I really don’t like how menacing that just sounded. Did she really give it to you?” She leaned over and gave a small glance to Sae.
Shidou shook her head. “Not yet. Her shift ends at 6:30. By the way, her name is Sae. She said that if I was still here and willing, she’d consider it.”
Bachira gaped and stared, not blinking. “Are you for real? It took me so long to get a hold of Rin’s number, and she said that Sae is like, so much more rude than she is!”
Shidou laughed. “I always knew Rinnie was a little liar,” She thought about what Bachira just said and something hit her. “Wait, are you dating Rin?!” She whispered under her breath, but it was loud enough for the other girl to hear.
She grimaced. “Ew, no way. Rin’s super pretty, but I don’t think I could handle all that. Plus, I think she’s dating Hiori, one of Isagi’s friends.”
“Ugh, okay, I’m sick of talking about Rin’s love life.”
“I’ve literally only said that she was already in a relationship.”
Shidou gestured her hand out. “Yeah, and that’s already enough for me to hear.” She stood up and grabbed Bachira’s arm. “I’ve been waiting for too long, let’s get in the water already!”
“You’re the one who kept me waiting, talking to your kind-of not-really girlfriend!”
Shidou cackled as she picked Bachira up and threw her into the deep end of the pool. She hunched over, grabbing her stomach as she watched the girl float back up, deadpanning.
Shidou could feel someone else’s gaze on her, and when she looked up, Sae was looking right at her, with no shame.
Shidou winked and blew a kiss before jumping right into the pool.