Asumi, losing all his drive, started sinking deep into the huge body of water. As he went down, his thoughts raced about the past. He mused, "Ugh, this brings back that memory."
Asumi, a young first-year high schooler wearing a white shirt with a fire logo on it and blue trousers and glasses, was holding his backpack and running away from a small group of bullies. Trying to lose them, he decided to run to the swimming club.
Upon getting there, he opened the glass door and entered. He turned his head, noticing it was empty. The pool reflected lights softly, with marked lanes and empty bleachers. The sound of the pool filter was soft.
Then he turned back and tried to lock the door from the inside. But before he could do it, Karl, a boy four inches taller than Asumi wearing a red hood and black trousers, pushed open the door and kicked him.
Asumi got knocked back and fell on the floor. He then tried to stand back up and rush to the other end of the wall along with his backpack.
Karl yelled, walking into the swimming club. "There is nowhere to run, asshole! I'm going to make you pay, thinking you could ever steal from me."
Asumi then yelled, "Stay back! I didn't take it." Karl replied, tilting his face to the side with a look of seriousness. "Oh yeah? You think I believe that crap? I know it's in your backpack." Karl pointed to the bag Asumi tucked against his chest, frightened.
Then the bullies slowly walked closer, closing in on Asumi. Karl said, turning his face to his companion on the left, "Mikel, could you grab that bag for me?"
Mikel, a boy wearing a green t-shirt and black trousers, replied, rubbing his hands together with an evil look on his face. "With pleasure."
He then walked closer to Asumi, wiggling his fingers. "Why don't you give me that?" He stretched his hand and grabbed the bag.
Asumi still held onto the bag, muttering, "Please stop, there is nothing in there, I swear." Mikel, feeling frustrated, then pulled the bag from Asumi and tossed it to Karl.
Karl unzipped the bag and turned it upside down, pouring out all of Asumi's books and belongings.
Asumi, feeling annoyed that they were going too far, yelled, "Stop! That's my stuff!" But Mikel pinned him to the wall, and all he could do was watch.
Then Karl kicked his books one by one into the swimming pool, searching for his homework. He gave Asumi to do for him, saying, "Nope, not that one. Not that one either."
Then he saw a $20 note from under the books. Karl, squatting down to pick it up, said, "Would you look at that? It's $20."
Asumi pushed Mikel to let go, saying, "Stop! That's mine!" Karl replied, "It's my money now." As he picked it up, he saw a notebook insulting him, and the owner was Asumi.
Karl looked at it, musing, "This asshole thinks he can insult me on a piece of paper? I'll teach him a lesson."
He then looked at Asumi, yelling his name in a serious tone. "Asumi!" He stood up, walked close to Asumi, and Mikel moved away, pressing his shoulder to the wall, pointing the notebook in his face.
Karl asked him, "Are you the one who did this?" Asumi looked at the book, surprised, shaking his head in dread. "No, that's not me," he replied.
Karl retorted, "Yeah, you asshole, it is you," then let go of Asumi, causing him to fall to the ground.
He stared at the swimming pool, then got struck with an idea.
Karl, looking at his two friends, said, "Boys, it's about time we teach him a lesson."
Mikel and Kelvin said simultaneously, "It's about time." Then the three of them cornered Asumi, who mumbled, "Wait, what are you going to do to me?"
Karl said, "Oh, nothing much. We're just going to teach you how to fly." Asumi, confused, asked, "Wait, what?"
The three of them grabbed Asumi, two holding his hands while the last held his leg, and started swinging him.
Karl counted down, "On the count of three, go. 3, 2, 1, now!" They threw Asumi high up, and he landed in the center of the pool.
Asumi brought his head out of the water, waving his hand and splashing water, struggling to float as he yelled, "Help! I can't swim!"
But they didn't listen; instead, they burst out laughing. Then Kelvin, a boy with a black shirt featuring a skull logo, noticed Asumi wasn't joking. He said to Karl, "Karl, look, he isn't acting up. He really can't swim."
Karl replied, defending himself, "Wait, he can't even swim? Then why did he come here in the first place?"
Then Karl placed his right hand on his face, feeling frustrated, and said, "Ugh, I guess trash is trash no matter where you put it. Let's leave; one of the teachers will be here soon."
Kelvin, anxious, said, "But..." Karl shushed him, saying, "No 'buts,' let's go." Then the three of them walked out of the swimming club. As they left, Kelvin turned his head for a moment, looking at Asumi, feeling sympathy.
Asumi, his hands feeling tired, could no longer disperse water as he soured for help, until he started to sink deep into the swimming pool. He mused, "I can't breathe; is this how I'm going to die?"
Then he heard the sound of someone diving into the pool and saw the person reaching to save him. He mused, "This is why I never go near the water and never hurt anyone. Who would have thought playing it safe would get me to this?"
He closed his eyes and opened them to see something else. He mused, "Wait, is that you, Gooper?" His vision was still too blurry, then his consciousness slowly faded as he sank deep into the lake in the middle of the night.