I just couldn’t help but want to save her.
Sometimes, I feel like writing a normal story for a change.
I quietly snuck into the pool after school.
The water’s surface was still, and the air was cold and heavy.
Hurrying to avoid being seen, I quickly prepared myself and dove in all at once.
As I strained my eyes underwater, I saw something sunken in the depths of my vision.
At the far end of the drain—it was Amane.
I desperately pulled her up.
Amane’s body was limp and lifeless, with cold water dripping from her.
“Amane! Stay with me!!”
I shouted as I shook her repeatedly, but there was no response.
Her shoulders were as cold as ice, and her breathing had completely stopped.
Her body, swaying helplessly with every movement, forced the harsh reality upon me.
“No… no way! Open your eyes… please!”
Tears wouldn’t stop streaming down my face.
Amane, the one I had a crush on.
I couldn’t even tell her how I felt before she drifted to a place beyond my reach.
As I held her lifeless body tightly, I could still feel a faint warmth lingering.
“Cough! Cough!!”
“Amane!? Are you okay?”
Suddenly, Amane coughed up water.
The moment I held her, the water trapped in her lungs seemed to expel itself.
Her eyes opened faintly, looking at me with a dazed expression.
“Ugh…”
With a faint groan, her body went limp once again.
As I held her close, the scene from earlier replayed vividly in my mind.
When I tried to bring her to the surface, her long pink hair had gotten tangled in the drain.
That vibrant trademark of hers seemed to have trapped her underwater, refusing to let her escape.
I could only imagine the terror she must have felt as her oxygen ran out.
Had I noticed even a moment later, she might never have opened her eyes again.
The trembling of her body conveyed an icy coldness, causing panic to rise within me.
If she stayed wet like this, her body heat would continue to drain away.
“Amane, I’m sorry about this…”
I hesitated but reached out for her swimsuit.
The water-soaked fabric clung to her skin, clearly making her even colder.
Plump.
“I’m sorry… huh!?”
The distinctively soft sensation at my fingertips made me gasp.
My heartbeat quickened rapidly.
“Soft…”
That word kept echoing in my mind.
Even though I tried not to think about it, the lingering sensation on my hand wouldn’t fade.
Driven by impulse, I gently pressed my fingers a little more firmly.
The soft surface shifted slightly under the pressure, its delicate yet resilient texture captivating my thoughts.
“…huh!?”
From afar, the sound of a siren gradually grew louder.
It was the ambulance I had called earlier.
Regaining my composure, I wrapped her in a bath towel.
Through the towel, I could feel her body slowly regaining its warmth.
A few days later, I visited her in the hospital.
There she was, looking healthy again.
She didn’t seem to have noticed my fleeting moment of weakness, as she blushed slightly and murmured, “Thank you.”