Chapter 46: Swimming Lessons

*Rena*

"Watch me paddle!" Souta said. He jumped into the pool, splashing us all with water, much to the annoyance of Purpura, Ava, and me.

"Watch it, mister!" Ava said, glaring at him.

Souta rubbed his wet orange hair and snickered. "S-sorry." He crossed his arms and huffed. "Wait a minute! We're all going to get wet anyway, so why are you mad?"

Purpura sighed. "It's annoying by nature."

Ava nodded.

I sighed. "Just show us how to swim already."

Kai snickered weakly as he stood at the side with the other three. He was probably regretting leaving it to him to teach us.

Souta saluted and began to swim back and forth rapidly.

I sighed. Figured this would happen. There was no way this kid could teach us properly, at least me.

"There! That's how you swim!"

Ava crossed her arms and grumbled. "You went too fast!"

He grumbled back at her. "Then you try!"

She nodded and slowly entered the pool. She smirked and splashed him.

"Hey!"

She giggled. "Just payback from earlier. If can't take it, don't dish it."

He splashed her back. "I so can!"

Ava splashed him back. Our swimming lesson had devolved into a water fight for the two.

"Avala, Souta!" Sayuri said, glaring at them. "Out of the water, now!"

The two sighed and emerged from the pool.

Sehun facepalmed. "What were we thinking, leaving it to these two?" 

Souta blushed and lowered his head in shame.

Kai smiled at me. "Leave it to me and Sayuri!"

I glanced at Sekin. "C-can't he teach me?"

Sekin smirked. "I'm on lifeguard duty, it seems."

I blushed. Right, he did mention that earlier.

"I think a little hands on training might be better," Sehun said as he gave Ava and Souta each a towel.

"Alright," Sayuri said, glancing at me. "Are ya ready?"

"Y-yeah," I mumbled.

She and Kai helped me stand. They both gently walked me over to the pool and sat me down at its edge. The cool, clear liquid felt nice on my feet. They weren't as exhausted as before thanks to the one hour rest, but it the water was relieving all the same.

Purpura got into the water with his white coat on.

"Uh, you should probably take that off," Ava said as she dried up her hair.

Sehun nodded. "It's going to only slow you down."

"Fine, if you insist," he said, sighing as he took it off.

I frowned as I saw more scars on his back. Some appeared to be from knives or even bullets. How much had he endured?"

"Okay, Rena," Sayuri said. "Ready?"

"Y-yes," I said, staring at my knees.

"Let's start with kicking exercises first," Kai said, sitting down at the water edge.

"Okay," I mumbled. I lifted my left leg, or at least, tried to. My feet sunk back into the water.

My brother got into the water and helped me raise my legs. "You're tense, Sis. Try to relax a bit."

"Easy for you to say," I grumbled.

He lowered his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend."

I sighed. "You didn't."

"Don't worry, if you end up falling in, we'll bring you out," Sayuri said, leaning in.

"R-right." I lifted my leg and attempted to kick. This was going to take a while.

Purpura kicked the water and smiled like how Souta had done earlier, with childish glee.

I smiled. "Having fun?"

"Uh, maybe," he said, looking down.

Kai smiled.

Souta stared at Purpura and smiled.

"What are you looking at?" Sehun asked.

He snapped his head up and stared at him. His face reddened. "N-nothing! Just admiring how cute he looks."

The prince crossed his arms and turned away. "I see how it is."

Souta frowned. "Don't tell me you're jealous!"

"N-no, of course not! What makes you think that?"

"Well, you're glaring."

Purpura snickered. "Not that he has any right to be?"

Color seemed to drain from Ava and Sehun's faces for some reason.

Purpura just stared at them, smirking.

Sehun sighed and turned around. "I'm going to go get something to drink."

Souta smiled. "Want me to come with you?"

"No."

Souta's shoulders slumped. "Oh, okay."

Sehun stopped. "Want something?"

"Hmm. Orange soda!"

Sehun nodded and continued on his way.

"What was that about?" Sayuri asked, glancing at Ava and Purpura.

Souta shrugged. "Beats me. Sehun can be kind of weird at times."

My boyfriend snickered. "That's a bit funny, coming from you."

I chuckled. He had a point.

"Seems you're getting a bit used to it," Kai said, smiling at he look up at me.

I looked down and noticed I'd been moving my legs while distracted by whatever drama that was going on with those guys.

"I am, aren't I?" I said, smiling.

"Ready to swim?" Purpura asked, smiling back at me.

My smile faded as I stared at the water. The pool seemed to increase in size and my breathing grew a bit heavy.

"It's okay, remember, we'll all here for you," Kai said, putting his hands on my shoulders.

I nodded weakly.

"You can hold to to me if you want," brother said as he helped me get entirely into the pool.

Sayuri and he helped me stand and wade in the shallow water.

"Try moving your arms and legs at the same time," Sayuri said.

"Like I showed you," Souta said, grinning.

Ava sighed. "I doubt she got to see that, given how fast you were moving them."

Souta stuck his tongue out.

Purpura snickered as he too got into the water. His smile faded.

"You okay?" Sayuri asked, swimming over to him.

"Y-yeah. I'm just fine." He said that even as he began to sink. Thankfully, he was tall enough to stand.

Sayuri snickered. "You're fine, huh?"

Purpura glared.

She chuckled nervously and backed away. "Okay. I'm just stay close if you need me."

Souta laughed. "Guess even someone like him is scared of something."

"You can say that again," Ava mumbled, staring at him.

Sayuri glared at her girlfriend and Sou. "Quiet, peanut gallery! They need to concentrate."

Souta and Ava both looked away, ashamed.

"Thanks," Purpura mumbled.

I nodded.

Sayuri smiled and winked at us.

"You can do it, Rena," Kai said, holding my back and stomach. "Try to paddle with as much strength as you can."

I nodded and did my best. It was hard not to fall face forward into the water. Thankfully, brother was there to support me.

"There you go! You're getting it!"

Purpura continued stare at the water as he stood there.

Sayuri sighed. "It's not good to be prideful, Purpura. Here, let me help you like Kai's doing with his sis."

"I-I'm fine," he mumbled.

"No, you're not," Ava said, staring at him.

Purpura grumbled and glared at her. "Didn't you hear, peanut gallery has to shut up!

"Come on, give it a try. You'll have me me as support," Sayuri said, putting a hand on his back and the other on his chest.

He recoiled from her touch and blushed.

She blinked. "I-I'm sorry. I should've asked first."

Purpura looked away and sighed. "No, you didn't do anything wrong. I just wasn't expecting it."

Souta frowned. "Want me to help ya instead?"

His face grew even warmer. "No!"

"You're not used to being touched, are you?" I whispered as I stopped paddling.

His eyes shifted to me. "It's not that... It's a bit of the opposite."

My eyes widened. Wait, he didn't mean was abused, was he? I thought of the scars on his back.

"It's a bit different from what you're thinking," he whispered.

I sighed. So, it wasn't that kind of abuse after all. Still, it was sad that he associated physical touch with bad stuff. Physical abuse was a tragedy in its own right.

"Alright, we're going to practice holding our breath," Sayuri said, standing behind Purpura.

His eyes widened as his face paled. "W-wait, I'm not sure about this..."

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna dunk ya!"

"That doesn't make it any better."

Souta sighed and entered the water. "Watch me." He took a deep breath and plunged his head into the water.

Purpura took a deep breath and did the same. He didn't stay in as long as Souta, though.

"Not bad," Souta said.

Purpura sighed. "Thanks. But I still hate the feeling."

Souta snickered. "Who doesn't? Not many people enjoy drowning, after all."

Sayuri frowned. "That was a bit insensitive."

He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Habit. Sorry."

She sighed.

Purpura smiled at Souta. "On second thought, you help me paddle?"

Souta's cheeks reddened slightly. "You sure?"

"Yeah. Just try not to drown me, please."

"Sure, but no guarantees."

Purpura grumbled.

Souta snickered. "I'm joking! I'm not gonna let ya drown! Promise."

Purpura nodded.

Souta put a hand on Purpura's back as Sayuri let go. Purpura took a deep breath before angling his body horizontally. He then slowly kicked his legs.

Sayuri swam over to us. "How's it going so far, Kai?"

Kai grinned. "Rena's slowly getting it."

I panted as I tried to avoid getting water into my mouth. "I'm a little tired now, though."

"Want to take a break?"

I nodded.

Brother and Sayuri helped get me sit back down at the edge of the pool.

Sekin walked over and gently patted me on the back, causing me to cough up water that had gone into my mouth.

He sighed. "Are you alright, Ren?"

"Yeah," I mumbled, panting.

Kai sat down on my right and smiled. "I'm proud of you, Sis."

I glanced at him and smiled. "Thanks."

Sayuri leaned back. "You did great for your first time."

Ava smiled at me and clapped. "Indeed. Uh, sorry I didn't end up being much help in the end."

"It's okay. Souta was at fault too," I said, glancing back at the boys.

Souta grumbled as Purpura was flailing more than necessarily, causing the latter to get splashed on.

"I thought you weren't gonna let me drown!" Purpura exclaimed.

"I'm not, I'm not! You're the one panicking! Calm down! I got ya!"

Purpura huffed as he slowed down his arms and legs. He began to swim normally as Souta continued to spot him.

Souta smiled as he followed. "See?"

The purple haired boy blushed. "I guess you were right. You're actually good at this."

He snickered. "I've had to swim against actual currents before, so this is nothing!"

Purpura glanced into his eyes, curiosity breaming in his amethyst pupils. "Currents?"

Souta nodded. "At the river out of town. Each summer, me and my friends would go out and swim there. There was this one time, a huge storm came, and I got caught up in some stronger than normal currents."

Purpura's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"I somehow managed to get out, although, I passed out in the process."

Ava sighed. "I told him to get out as I sense a storm coming, but he wouldn't listen."

Sayuri snickered. "He's like a cat, refusing to get out of the rain, only to end up catching a cold."

Kai blinked. "Is that some kind of saying in these parts?"

"Something like that," Sayuri said, giggling. "It comes from an old village folklore. It tells of two cats who loved playing outside during rainstorms, even as lightning struck close by. Their owner told them to stop that. One cat listened to the owner and avoided getting sick. The other one refused and died."

Souta sighed. "Hey, don't compare me to a cat, and a dead one, at that."

Sehun shook his head as he walked over to the pool. "It's not wrong. You really will end up like that cat one day."

Souta huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, I bought some drinks and snacks," Sehun said, setting a basket down next to Kai.

"Wanna rest?" Souta asked, smiling at Purpura.

Purpura shook his head. "Let's continue. Your soda can wait."

Souta laughed. "If you say so."

Sehun glared at Purpura. "That guy..."

"Don't tell me you're jealous again?" Sayuri asked, smirking.

The crown prince blushed. "O-of course not! Do you think I'm the insecure?"

"Yes," Ava said, glaring at him.

Sehun lowered his head. "I guess you're right..."

Sayuri giggled.

I looked at my brother and smiled. "Today hasn't been so bad."

Kai grinned. "I'm glad to hear that, Sis. I'll make sure it keeps being fun."

I wrapped my arms around him. "Thanks, Kai. You're the best twin brother in the world."

He laughed. "I-I'm not so sure about that."

Sayuri giggled. "You're always so modest, Kai. Don't forget, you're a hero in your own way."

He blushed slightly.

I frowned. Kai... Sayuri was taken. Plus, having feelings for a girl who might not even like boys would lead nowhere. He would only end up with a broken heart.