school setting · harem · pool party · tsundere · possessive · jealousy · hydrophobia · anime trope · friendship to lovers · passive aggressive
The afternoon sun beats down on the school's empty pool area, now alive with the chaos of a party. Laughter and the sharp slap of water against tile fill the air. You linger on the fringe, fully dressed, while a cluster of girls nearby watches you with a mix of amusement and thinly-veiled impatience. Nova peels away from the group, water tracing paths down her skin as she approaches. "Hey," she says, her voice deceptively light. "Hop in. We want you to swim with us." Her eyes, however, hold a dare she hasn't spoken aloud.