I can smell the chlorine as soon as the door to the local arena opens. The scent is strong. We haven't even gone inside! We're still at the bus! I grin as Sei' struts over to the cluster of Samezuka swimmers.

"Morning!" Mikoshiba Sei' grins.

"Morning!" we chime.

"Long time no see boys." Sei' grins.

"Not really." Mei murmurs.

"Shhh!" Ami-chan giggles.

"Yes really, since I got into that university and moved out of graduates house you should have missed me." Sei tussles his sister's amber mane.

"Have you boys been working hard without me?" Sei' asks the boys.

"Yes sir!" the team nod.

"You didn't have to come out here just to cheer for us Nii-chan." Momo sulks.

"What's the problem Momotarou? No need to be shy! You're only a true athelete when you surpass me!" Sei' enthuses.

"He's right you know." Mei-chan nods at her younger brother.

Sei' gives his little brother a noogie.

"That hurts!" Momo struggles. "That hurts Nii-chan. Huh?"

"Oh god no." Mei-chan mutters.

"He's seen her." Ami-chan rolls her eyes.

"She had better be ready to run." I giggle.

Sei follows his brother's gaze.

"Gou-san!" Momo exclaims.

"Gou-kun!" Sei' grins.

The boys look at eachother, shocked. Rin's facepalming.

We walk inside.

"AOI-CHAAAANNNN!" Aya-chan exclaims, she rushes to me in her ridiculous shoes. Jun right behind her, just so then he can catch her if she falls.

"Oh God, blue hair it must be Ryugazaki's." Mei-chan giggles with a winning smile.

"Aya-chan!" I beam.

"It's great to see you!" She enthuses.

"Aya-chan it hasn't been that long." I sigh.

"I know! I know!" she pouts. "It's still great to see you!"

"I'm glad you could make it." I nod.

"Let me see!" a voice whines.

"No way." I cock a brow. "Jun, are you on Skype with Johan?"

"Hey Aoi!" my cousin chirps through the phone in Jun's hand.

"Err." My friends are staring at me.

"Guys, this is my cousin Aya-chan and her husband Jun. On the phone is Aya's brother Johan who is training for the Olympics in America." I introduce.

"You've made so many friends Aoi-chan! I really shouldn't have worried about you." my cousin pinches my cheek.

"Hey Fubu', is Grace coming today?" Kaito asks.

"She has to work but she sends us luck. Katie sent us luck too." a faint blush stains the clementine haired boy's face.

"We're cheering for you guys today!" Johan speaks up.

"I don't think you guys are in the heats with the Iwatobi boys." Jun adds.

"I know Minishiba's swimming in Makoto's heat." Ami-chan sighs.

"I hope they qualify." I smile.

"I think we all want Momo to qualify. He'll be the dark horse in the outside line." Mei-chan seems to have total faith in Momo.

"Poor kid. Nobody swims to their fullest in the outside lane." Johan sighs.

"Momo can hold his own even in the outside lane." Ami-chan assures. "Oh and Hanaka-chan is in your heat today."

"She is? It'll be great to see her. I haven't seen her since the carwash." I smile.

"I admire you guys, friends with those outside of your team. It's hard when you're competitors because in the end, only twenty students across the country will end up in the spotlight." Johan says.

"Sousuke-kun's a great example of a swimmer in the limelight." Hika-chan pipes up.

"Very true." Mori Aka adds.

"Wait." Aya-chan looks at the group of girls before them in red and black tracksuits with a tiny butterfly pin on the collars. Par Kuruno-kun who refused to wear the pin. "Have you started a girls' team?"

"Sei gave Mei-chan a team as a parting gift." I giggle.

"Awesome! Good luck today everybody. Oh look there's your brother!" Aya skips over to greet Rei. Jun right behind her.

"Family." I shrug. "What are you going to do?"

"Tell me about it." Mei-chan rolls her eyes, glancing at the 'Minishiba' and the 'Macroshiba'. Momo hasn't seemed to notice that Kou-chan's looking at Sei and only Sei. She's blanking the younger boy.

"The Samezuka booth is open for you all to sit in but if you would rather sit and cheer your team with your family it's fine." Rin declares, seizing everybody's attention.

"Same goes for you girlies!" Mei-chan chirps.

"I reckon Kuruno-kun's gone off to see Natsumi-kun." Hika-chan declares.

"Most likley." I sigh.

"I have a theory." Fubuki declares, one arm around Kaito.

"Oh?" Mei-chan cocks a brow.

"Kuruno-kun's most likley that girl from the theme park. The one who got Yuma away from Kai'." Fubuki states. Kaito shivers.

"He can't hurt you anymore Kai'." Fubuki declares.

"None of us will let him." I add.

"You guys tried to stop him at the park and he wouldn't budge!" Kaito burries his head in Fubuki's shoulder.

"We've all got your back!" Nito' declares.

"Don't really think you would scare Yuma, Nito'. Didn't work at the festival." Nito' ducks his head when I mention that.

"It was really Makoto and Sei' who got him to stop." I admit.

"He's afraid of the well built bigger guys."

"Thank the heavens that we all train hard." Ami-chan laughs.

"And that Rinrin dotes on Aoi-chan since she's a bit like Kou-chan." Mei-chan adds.

"I wouldn't say he dotes." I duck my head.

"It's almost time for this to begin. Nito' we ought to change." Kaito runs a hand through his hair.

"Your right Kai'." Seems that everybody has adopted the nicknames Fubuki and Kaito gave eachother.

The pair branch off and go into the changing rooms.

We make our way toward the Samezuka booth.

"Save me a seat. I need to wish Rei luck." I grin, making my way over to Rei. Makoto has gone ahead with the rest of the team and supporters.

"Rei!" I wave at my twin.

"Aoi! It's great to see you!" Rei and I embrace.

"Same here!" I grin. "How are you feeling?"

"More confident than last year!" Rei admits. "I saw the list for races."

"Yeahh." I hang my head.

"I was really shocked that you got pulled out of my heat." Rei muses.

"It's a sibling thing." I shrug.

"I'm also quite grateful. You would have destroyed me!" Rei pushes up his glasses.

"Don't doubt yourself Rei." I jab him with my elbow.

"Ouch." Rei whines. "You would have destroyed me. Losing to my little sister would have been embarassing."

"That's why I'm in a different relay heat to you guys too." I nod.

"Good luck today." Rei hugs me.

"I'll be behind the block cheering you to no end." I beam.

"And I'll be waiting for you to destroy these other swimmers while being soggy. I wouldn't be surprised if Makoto-senpai waited too. Though he'll be behind the block cheering for you in backstroke." Rei grins.

"Good luck you too. Love you big brother." I hug him back.

"Love you too little sister." Rei grins. "Now get to your frieds. The breaststroke heats are about to start."

"Cheer extra hard for Nagisa since I'm cheering for Nito'. Promise?"

"Promise." Rei messes my hair up. I pout playfuly before waving and making my way to the bleachers.