"Chitanda-san! The water slide is so much fun! Let's go again!"
Fujiwara Chika and Chitanda Eru chatted and laughed as they walked towards the water slide again.
Chitanda: "Yukino, do you want to join us?"
Yukinoshita leaned against the edge of the pool, watching the still-unfinished battle in the shallow end.
"I'll wait a bit...."
Fujiwara Chika: "By the way, Hayasaka-san and Kaguya-san are really amazing. They still haven't decided a winner... Uchiha-kun, do you want to come on the water slide too!"
Uchiha Ryo nodded. "Let me show you how to really go down a water slide!"
.....
Over in the water volleyball battle zone, the black-suited Hayasaka Ai's aura was rising steadily as she continuously spiked the volleyball at Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Oops!"
Shinomiya Kaguya used her streamlined, completely resistance-free body to dive sideways and save the ball, keeping it from hitting the water.
"Hayasaka... are you venting your usual dissatisfaction?"
Hayasaka Ai: "What are you talking about, Kaguya-... san? I'm just taking the game seriously."
Shinomiya Kaguya's eyes narrowed, and then she leaped forcefully, sending the volleyball back.
The volleyball, like a cannonball, flew mercilessly towards Hayasaka Ai. Hayasaka, however, crossed her arms in front of her, forcibly receiving the merciless blow from Shinomiya.
Yukinoshita Yukino, sitting on the edge of the pool, thought, How could she dare to receive a ball like that... So Hayasaka-san's physical fitness is that strong?
Hayasaka Ai: "Kaguya-san! You were aiming for my chest just now, weren't you! That was definitely a full-power attack after taking aim!"
Shinomiya Kaguya smiled.
"Oh dear, what a pity, Hayasaka-san. But I wasn't deliberately aiming. It was all a coincidence."
From the high platform not far away, Uchiha Ryo picked up a basin of soapy water. "Hayasaka and Shinomiya are really going at it. Should I tell them that no matter who wins, they won't get the prize?"
Fujiwara Chika: "Uchiha-kun! What's this new way to play on the water slide? And what's in that basin you're holding?"
Uchiha Ryo chuckled. "You two, stand together first."
Fujiwara Chika was a little confused, but she still stood together with Chitanda.
Uchiha Ryo: "First, you have to get drenched in this."
A full basin of soapy water splashed towards them, drenching Chitanda Eru and Fujiwara Chika from head to toe.
Chitanda: "Ooh, is this soapy water? My whole body feels so slippery...."
Uchiha Ryo nodded, then pointed at the plastic stool in front of him.
"After drenching yourselves in soapy water, sit on the stool and rush down the water slide! This is the new way to play I've developed, called 'Fast and Furious'."
Fujiwara Chika looked at the somewhat turbulent water on the slide. "Eh! Will this be okay!"
Uchiha Ryo thought for a moment. "Are you afraid the speed will be too fast? Then how about this: I'll be at the bottom to catch you, to prevent you from rushing into the water."
With that, he took a few steps forward to the edge of the high platform and jumped directly into the water.
"Come on. Trust me, I'll guarantee your safety."
Uchiha Ryo came to a spot five meters away from the exit of the water slide and symbolically opened his arms.
Honestly, to think of their safety, Uchiha Ryo was deeply moved by his own gentlemanly behavior.
Why do I have this feeling that someone is cursing me for being evil? I'm clearly the naturally kind and gentlemanly Uchiha Ryo.
Fujiwara Chika looked at Uchiha Ryo below, then exchanged a glance with Chitanda, and they sat down on the small stool together.
Chitanda: "Hold on tight to me. It feels like it's going to be very slippery."
Fujiwara Chika, sitting in the back, took a deep breath. "Because of the soapy water, we'll definitely slide super fast...."
Fast and Furious, activate! As expected, with the help of the soapy water, the two on the water slide rushed down with extremely fast acceleration.
Chitanda Eru, sitting in the front, even felt like she was on a roller coaster! And this roller coaster had no seat belts....
The plastic stool rushed to the water's surface at high speed, then carried the two of them forward as if skipping across the water.
Seeing that the two were about to fall into the water, Uchiha Ryo caught each of them by the waist. As for the stool, it flew a few more meters before finally hitting the edge of the pool.
He let go. Fujiwara Chika's eyes were shining with bright stars. "That... that was so much fun! Chitanda~ Let me sit in the front this time. Uchiha-kun, I'll be counting on you at the bottom."
Uchiha Ryo: "Mhm, you two go up and get it ready. I'll wait down here."
And so the two went to get another basin of soapy water and returned to the high platform.
While Uchiha Ryo was preparing to catch them, he looked over at Hayasaka Ai and the others, who were still in a heated battle.
I'll just ignore them for now. Even if the winner comes over later and asks me to do something, I never agreed to their terms anyway....
"Damn it.... Hayasaka, let me win, and I'll double your bonus this month."
Hayasaka Ai: "This isn't a matter of salary, Lady Kaguya."
Shinomiya Kaguya: "Then if you let me win... I'll allow you to take one day off each week to go to Toyogasaki. How about that?"
Hayasaka Ai's hand slipped, and the volleyball almost fell.
Not far away, Yukinoshita Yukino was watching the match intently. Although she couldn't hear what the two of them were saying, Hayasaka-san had clearly faltered after Shinomiya-san spoke.
As expected of the young lady of the Shinomiya family. In a situation where her stamina and endurance might be inferior to her opponent's, she knows how to use words to distract her.
Hayasaka Ai: "....Mmm, damn it, to think you'd use a precious day off to tempt me."
Shinomiya Kaguya: "How about it, Hayasaka? I'm running out of stamina. If I lose, the deal is off."
That was a lie! Shinomiya Kaguya's stamina was enough for her to last another five minutes. She said this, of course, to put pressure on Hayasaka Ai and make her make a decision quickly.
What to do... get one command over Uchiha Ryo, or a public holiday every week!
Wait a minute! Thinking about it, did Uchiha Ryo even agree to the terms of our match? If she really did win, it was still a question whether that so-called command right even existed.
Hayasaka Ai's expression suddenly became serious. She wanted to talk to Shinomiya Kaguya. Were the two of them doing something pointless?
Shinomiya Kaguya: "What's wrong, Hayasaka? I might lose on the next ball, you know~"
Hayasaka Ai: "...."
Her young lady's expression... so annoying! That "I've got you figured out" look.... Then you can just wait to lose both your money and your prize!
"Lady Kaguya, are you sure you don't want to hand him over to me, and would rather trade a day off?"
Shinomiya Kaguya: "Of course. You agree?"
Hayasaka Ai: "Lady Kaguya, you might regret this."
"I am your master, Hayasaka!"
The volleyball finally landed in the water. Hayasaka Ai had lost the game in the end.