Silence Suzuka

The pool training had ended and the other girls were slowly dispersing. You were taking notes in your notebook when you heard soft footsteps approaching. Without even looking, you recognized the cadence: Silence Suzuka.

When you looked up, she was there, her swimsuit still dripping wet, her hair plastered to her shoulders. But this time she didn't have her usual calm, distant expression… instead, she wore a fixed, serious, almost accusatory stare, though her rosy cheeks betrayed her.

"Why are you looking at the other girls, coach?" he asked, leaning slightly towards you.

Her tone wasn't loud, but it was clear. A direct arrow to the chest.

You didn't respond immediately, surprised by how direct she'd been. Suzuka then gently puffed out her cheeks, looking away.

—Pouts…

A second later, her expression changed to something smaller, more vulnerable.

—She gets annoyed silently…

She stood still, shifting one foot on the ground, not daring to look at you completely. Suzuka was never good at hiding her feelings for you.

"I... I just wanted you to see how I was progressing," she whispered, almost inaudibly. "But you were looking at everyone but me..."

She tried to compose herself, taking a deep breath.

—I don't like it when you do that.

Then, he looked up for a moment, with a mixture of hope and wounded pride.

"Could you... look at me a little more too?" she said, in a timid tone that almost sounded like a plea disguised as a question.

It was a simple request, but it meant a lot to Suzuka.

Her subsequent silence said it all: she wanted your eyes to follow her, just as she followed the line.