Disclaimer: Koko wa Greenwood is the creation of Yukie Nasu, and all characters and situations therein are the property of her and Hakusensha Inc., Victor Entertainment, and the Pierrot Project. No infringement is intended.

**track twenty-five**

I swear, the sempai are going to kill Suka-chan one of these days. He hears the word 'bikini' and my name together, and he looks like he's taken a hit from Mike Tyson.

It's not like I even have a bikini. I look like a girl, sure, but not that much like one. Jeez…

So what am I gonna wear? If I go in boys trunks and a bare chest, my cover's blown, and Suka-chan's gonna kill me. But it's not like I've got a girl's swimsuit… well, maybe this black sports bra and panties will do. Of course, I can't swim in them, and I sure as hell ain't gonna wear just them…

…okay, yeah, a T-shirt and shorts over them should do just fine. All right, I guess I'm ready to go.

As long as I don't actually have to get wet.

We present the tickets to the girl at the front desk, although not without some grumbling from Suka-chan: "I don't see why you guys had to take those other tickets and come with."

Shinobu-sempai turns to him quietly. "Did you enjoy those oranges Fujikake's mom sent him?"

"The ones you and Mitsuru-sempai were passing out? Sure, I did… wait, you mean…?"

"Yup," Mitsuru-sempai grins. "What, you thought she sent 'em to the whole dorm? C'mon…"

"Rank hath its privileges," Shinobu-sempai nods sagely. "But we make sure to share the wealth whenever possible. Besides, were you really planning to come here every weekend by yourself for the next month?"

It's at this point while we're chatting and heading for the locker rooms that someone grabs my arm. Huh?

"Oh, honey, you can't go in there. That's the men's locker room!" It's an attendant. A female attendant. And she's guiding me toward the women's locker room!

I look back over my shoulders at my sempai, pleading for help with my eyes. I should know better than that. They're both grinning and waving at me. So is Suka-chan, but I could forgive him… if it weren't for the fact that it's because of him I'm in this mess, and I can't get OUT.

Right now, I am in a place that most guys I know would absolutely KILL to be in. Dozens of naked and half-naked women around me, not the least bit concerned that I'm here and watching them as they dress or undress.

I'd be enjoying it myself, if I wasn't so damn worried about blowing my cover. And here I've been thinking that trying to fool Suka-chan was tough. Try to convince a couple dozen of the genuine article that you're one of them — in a place where you're supposed to take off your clothes!

I've got to get out of here before I develop a nosebleed… or something worse. Much worse.

Still, since I'm not actually going swimming, I'm fine as I am: I don't have to change. All I have to do is act nonchalant about this, and head for the pool.

I get more than halfway to the showers before my passage is blocked by a couple of girls by age coming in. One of them is stripping out of her top as she walks, and I get an eyeful. Literally — I have to dodge lest I get struck in the face as she pulls the top over her head and her breasts fall out.

I clench my fists and resist the urge to grab onto anything, even for balance. Better to fall than to grab something I shouldn't.

But if they think I'm a girl, isn't it okay? There's another pair of girls, and one's cupping the other's breast: "Oh, I don't know… I think it's just the right size for our age. I mean, come on — Ken's probably spoiled from watching too much anime, he thinks all women should have them out to here. What were you thinking, snagging an otaku boyfriend, anyway?" She's jiggling the thing as she's talking.

I've really got to get out of here. I quicken my steps, and lengthen my stride, and just as I'm almost through the shower room… there's another hand on my shoulder.

"You need to take a shower before you get in the pool, sweetie."

"I'm not going in swimming, o-baba," I protest without even turning around. I know it's an old woman by the sound of the voice, and I really don't want to see this.

"No excuses."

*squeak* WHOOOSH! And I'm suddenly drenched with cold water. Well, I gotta say this, it washes off any nosebleed I might have had, not to mention shrinking any other, ah, anomalies, down to nothing.

That doesn't mean I'm enjoying it. "Okay, can I go now? My friends are waiting for me."

"Very well, dear. Just try to stay safe."

Believe me, I'm pretty sure I'm safer out there than in here.

Mitsuru-sempai is grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Any cute girls in there?"

"Besides you, of course." And Suka-chan can be so cruel without meaning a bit of it.

I step over to Mitsuru-sempai, and snuggle against his chest just enough to put a quizzical look on his face, then I quickly grab a corner of his shirt and blow my nose.

Just as I thought, there's a bit of blood there. "That answer your question?"

"Shit! What's the matter with you, Shun?!" He backs away like he's been shot, and strips off the shirt. I give him a good wolf-whistle, and he throws it at me. "Go rinse that out, dammit!"

"You had that coming," I say as I flounce off.

Sempai actually goes with me to make sure I rinse his shirt off properly, then he makes me change shirts — right out in public! Thank heavens Suka-chan's not watching and I've got this sports bra on. So his shirt will dry off sooner.

I'm tempted to dunk his towel into the wading pool while he's not looking.

Mitsuru-sempai seems bound and determined to get into trouble. He and the lifeguard have a few words about his shoving Suka-chan into the pool. Meanwhile, I offer Suka-chan a hand — in case he wants out of the pool, which he doesn't, as it so happens — and go back to sitting on the edge of the pool, dangling my feet in the water. Feels nice… wish I could jump in.

Ooh, the guy's pretty mad, muttering something about how he's not gonna save Mitsuru-sempai if he drowns. Better get on his good side. I smile and wave at him as he heads back to his post.

Well, he's smiling at me, anyway, so I think I'm safe. Of course, now that I think about it, I wasn't planning on swimming, anyway, so why am I sucking up to him?

Suka-chan places a hand on my knee. "How's about that hand up? It's way too crowded in here."

"Huh? Oh, yeah… sure." He hoists himself out with my help, just barely. If he'd've been one of the sempai, we'd both be in the drink.

Suka-chan shakes his head to get the water out of his ears. "Can't swim worth a darn in this place. Y'keep running into people."

"Oh, come on," Mitsuru-sempai laughs, "If we'd wanted to swim, we could have done that at the school's pool."

"So what'd we come here for? I'm assuming you weren't expecting to find—"

"Hey, hello there, guys!" Should I recognize those voices? I turn, and I'm facing a trio of girls that I think I saw half-naked in the locker room. My hand goes to my nose, just in case.

Shinobu-sempai, oddly enough, is the first over to them. "Ladies…"

"Have you three been to the wave pool yet? I hear it's awesome!"

Suka-chan sidles over to Mitsuru-sempai. "D'you know these girls, sempai?"

Mitsuru's grin is wide. "Nope. But an invite's an invite." Then to the girls: "No, but we'll join you if you like." This brings a chorus of delighted squeals. I roll my eyes.

Now it's Suka-chan's turn to help me up from where I'm sitting by the pool. "You gonna come with us, Shun-chan?"

"Ah… no, I don't think so." I wouldn't mind it; I've never been in a wave pool before. But this outfit isn't particularly suited (er, sorry, bad joke) for actually getting wet, after all. "They said the three of you, so why don't you run along and have fun? I'm gonna lie out and catch some rays or something." Now standing, I notice one of the girls looking at me strangely. Has she figured it out? If she has, I hope she doesn't blab.

I hang my shirt on the fence, and pull up a lounge chair. The lifeguard is looking at me again. I grin and wave at him. He waves back. There's something in his eyes that bothers me, but I can't put my finger on it…

*tap*tap* "Oh!"

I turn in surprise, especially because I know where Suka-chan and the sempai are, and that's not here. It's a boy about my age, dark hair, and a wide grin. "Hey there… you here by yourself?"

"Uh… actually, I'm with some classmates of mine…"

"Really? What school d'ya go to?"

"Ryokuto Academy."

He gets this weird look on his face, and then breaks out laughing. "You're kidding! That's a boys' school!"

Oh, I get it. I take a quick glance at the wave pool, and, satisfied that Suka-chan, at least, isn't looking, I wave this kid in a bit.

"Hmm? What is it?"

I hold a finger to my lips before pulling down the neckline of sempai's shirt, hooking the bra as I bring my fingers down. "See?" He takes a long look, rather longer than I'd like him to, frankly, so I let go. I wince a bit as the bra cups snap me in the chest, but the kid keeps staring. I wave a hand in front of his face. "Uh… show's over, kid."

He looks up at me, blinks a couple of times, and silently turns and walks away. "Not much of one, either."

If I were a real girl, I'd be insulted. As it is, I'm just a bit relieved.

Now to take a nap…

"Shun-chan… Shun-chan… Get up!" Suka-chan's hissing at me. Why's he hissing?

"Wha..? Holy crap, sempai, what happened to you?" Mitsuru-sempai's got a real beaut of a shiner, although I can tell it's fading already.

He grabs my hand, and pulls me off of the lounge chair. "We're getting kicked out. Surfer-boy up there thought I was copping a feel when I was checking my shirt. You know, the one you blew your nose on?"

"The one I was wearing so it'd dry faster…" which I'm not wearing anymore, either. "Aw, jeez, sempai. Fine, lemme get my stuff, and we'll go." I grab my own shirt — it's just about dry by now — and toss it on. "Okay, let's go." I grab my towel, and the four of us head for the exits.

"Hey! HEY!!" It's the lifeguard again.

Mitsuru-sempai, by now fully healed, sighs heavily before turning to face the guy. "What now?"

"I said you were kicked out. She can stay."

Sempai looks at me. In fact, everyone's looking at me right now. I can feel the color rising to my cheeks. I don't know if I'm more embarrassed or mad. "Nothing doing. He goes, we all go. Including me." The lifeguard looks a little crestfallen. Good.

The four of us march off toward the guys' locker room. And once again: "HEY!!" Doesn't he ever shut up? "You can't go in there!"

I stop and think this over for a moment before turning back to the lifeguard. "Why not? There's nothing in there I haven't seen!" Which is, of course, quite true.

Now he's turning red.

"Shun!!" As is Suka-chan.

"Relax," I say as I pull off my shirt, grab the sleeves, flip it a couple of times, and tie it over my eyes. If anyone's got a problem, I won't look. "Just lead me through, okay?"

Regardless of how ridiculous I'm sure I look, I think I'm still more comfortable going this way than the other way.

To be continued.

Webmaster: Larry F
Last revision: May 21, 2007