'It's a circus!' Kyoko had heard how bad the cla.s.srooms in the left wing could be . Had experienced it first hand as well . But this was a circus .

The pool was divided in two halves . Those who wanted to be seen and those who didn't . Kyoko kept with the latter and so did Nori-chan . And to her surprise, so did Kuri-chan even if she had walked over to the other end to gaze along the left wing building . Something, or rather someone hadn't been there to be seen and she came back .

There was something downtrodden about her when she returned .

'I see . All that talk about love and heart, but this is what the real you looks like when you're in love . I wonder what I look like . '

Bad, bad idea . Kyoko could feel colour rising in her face . She slid into the pool and submerged . When she came back up again both Kuri-chan and Nori-chan were in the water . Nori-chan had apparent problems swimming and received help from their PE-teacher but Kuri-chan stretched out in a lazy and eye-catching medley . Most of the boys were whistling and shouting and even a few of the girls stared in admiration .

'Of course she moves like a G.o.ddess in the water as well . She's not human that girl . She didn't swim that well last winter when we trained together . '

Kuri-chan wasn't just good-looking . She ate the lengths with a speed that would have made her an interesting recruit for the swim team .

What was is she had said? "Two clicks three times per week keeps you in shape . " 'Clicks?' Kyoko watched Kuri-chan eat away another 25 metres . 'Oh, kilometres!' Yu-kun had said something about that when referring to one of his games . 'She swims two kilometres at a time? Three times per week? She can have that body . '

Kyoko climbed out of the pool and sat down beside it . Drying in the sun felt good but it quickly got hot .

She saw most of the boys leering while pretending not to, and to balance it out most of the girls were giggling and pointing while pretending not to . If Nori-chan hadn't been so busy in the pool she'd offered half a dozen scathing remarks by now .

Then there was some commotion a bit away . The boys were shouting louder than usual .

And there he was, the cannonball prince . Water splattered all over the poolside when he landed and Kyoko had to make a hasty retreat .

'Ryu-kun! Grow up sometime!'

She moved into the shade under the roof . The sun was baking them and it was uncomfortably hot despite her being so close to the pool . Maybe she should have let him soak her .

"I'm the bomb! I'm the bombest of bombs!"

No wonder Nori-chan calls him her idiot brother . 'How can someone that childish be so popular?'

Or maybe it was because he was so childish . He radiated a carefree lack of worries and for some people maybe that was the very reason they were attracted to him . Kyoko couldn't tell . She was part of the gang around Kuri-chan and as such hadn't understood that she was supposed to have a crush on Ryu-kun .

She walked poolside and slid into the water . Her eyes sought in vain for her minds wishes .

Her interests lay elsewhere and elsewhere wasn't here . He was back in his cla.s.sroom in the wing turned circus . 6:1, the second source of rumours . The monopoly held by 3:1 had been thoroughly broken even if nowhere close to overtaken . Ryu-kun was still Ryu-kun and Kuri-chan was still Kuri-chan . Nothing would change that . Not even Urufu-kun .

'You are,' she guessed, 'mostly famous for being Kuri-chan's unexpected boyfriend . Good!' The last remnants of bullying had ceased when she chose the geek over the prince . 'Geek, right! They were perfect for each other from the start . They just didn't know it . '

On second thought Kyoko suspected that the tall, j.a.panese looking Swede had no interest in being the centre of rumours . On third thought she wasn't all that certain .

Its a circus! Kyoko had heard how bad the cla.s.srooms in the left wing could be . Had experienced it first hand as well . But this was a circus . The pool was divided in two halves . Those who wanted to be seen and those who didnt . Kyoko kept with the latter and so did Nori-chan . And to her surprise, so did Kuri-chan even if she had walked over to the other end to gaze along the left wing building . Something, or rather someone hadnt been there to be seen and she came back . There was something downtrodden about her when she returned . I see . All that talk about love and heart, but this is what the real you looks like when youre in love . I wonder what I look like . Bad, bad idea . Kyoko could feel colour rising in her face . She slid into the pool and submerged . When she came back up again both Kuri-chan and Nori-chan were in the water . Nori-chan had apparent problems swimming and received help from their PE-teacher but Kuri-chan stretched out in a lazy and eye-catching medley . Most of the boys were whistling and shouting and even a few of the girls stared in admiration . Of course she moves like a G.o.ddess in the water as well . Shes not human that girl . She didnt swim that well last winter when we trained together . Kuri-chan wasnt just good-looking . She ate the lengths with a speed that would have made her an interesting recruit for the swim team . What was is she had said? Two clicks three times per week keeps you in shape . Clicks? Kyoko watched Kuri-chan eat away another 25 metres . Oh, kilometres! Yu-kun had said something about that when referring to one of his games . She swims two kilometres at a time? Three times per week? She can have that body . Kyoko climbed out of the pool and sat down beside it . Drying in the sun felt good but it quickly got hot . She saw most of the boys leering while pretending not to, and to balance it out most of the girls were giggling and pointing while pretending not to . If Nori-chan hadnt been so busy in the pool shed offered half a dozen scathing remarks by now . Then there was some commotion a bit away . The boys were shouting louder than usual . And there he was, the cannonball prince . Water splattered all over the poolside when he landed and Kyoko had to make a hasty retreat . Ryu-kun! Grow up sometime! She moved into the shade under the roof . The sun was baking them and it was uncomfortably hot despite her being so close to the pool . Maybe she should have let him soak her . Im the bomb! Im the bombest of bombs! No wonder Nori-chan calls him her idiot brother . How can someone that childish be so popular? Or maybe it was because he was so childish . He radiated a carefree lack of worries and for some people maybe that was the very reason they were attracted to him . Kyoko couldnt tell . She was part of the gang around Kuri-chan and as such hadnt understood that she was supposed to have a crush on Ryu-kun . She walked poolside and slid into the water . Her eyes sought in vain for her minds wishes . Her interests lay elsewhere and elsewhere wasnt here . He was back in his cla.s.sroom in the wing turned circus . 6:1, the second source of rumours . The monopoly held by 3:1 had been thoroughly broken even if nowhere close to overtaken . Ryu-kun was still Ryu-kun and Kuri-chan was still Kuri-chan . Nothing would change that . Not even Urufu-kun . You are, she guessed, mostly famous for being Kuri-chans unexpected boyfriend . Good! The last remnants of bullying had ceased when she chose the geek over the prince . Geek, right! They were perfect for each other from the start . They just didnt know it . On second thought Kyoko suspected that the tall, j.a.panese looking Swede had no interest in being the centre of rumours . On third thought she wasnt all that certain .