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[birdish]

Hello! Excuse me! I think the way you're using 'side character syndrome' isn't nice!

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[openturn]

[ laughs and floats into the stratosphere ]

You don't have to thank me. I didn't do anything.

[birdish]

[dries tears with the money kyoani doesn't want ;_; ]

You encourage me.

[openturn]

We're teammates.

[ he just thinks of it as being truthful, though... ]

[birdish]

[///////]

That's right... Teammates. So we use each other as a support system.

[openturn]

[ yeah, like -- he throws his towel at you and you pick it up. support. ]

Something like that, yeah. You can't improve if you only work by yourself, after all.

[birdish]

[WISE ADVICE]

Then... Senpai! I hope you know that I'm always... here for you to use!

[openturn]

What.

[ okay, he ob...viously... didn't mean it like that, but ]

Ah... yeah, thanks. I... [ come on, Rin, spit it out. ] ... appreciate it.

[birdish]

[Dear journal why does senpai sometimes react so strangely to the things I say?? Is he okay....???]

Of course! I will... also become that kind of teammate!

...I'm relieved.

[openturn]

Relieved? Don't say that until after you've gone through your qualifiers.

[birdish]

...[Tiny Nitori laugh.] I guess you're right. I'm just relieved about you, senpai. But I won't relax yet.

[openturn]

... You weren't doubting me, were you? [ well, he can only be cocky about it now that it's already over. ]

[birdish]

Of course not! I knew you would do something amazing! Just... The way you were acting, before... [Well, he was worried.]

[openturn]

Something like that wouldn't stop me from swimming at my best.

... It's more of a motivation than anything else.

[birdish]

That's true... But outside of swimming...

[openturn]

[ he raises an eyebrow. ]

What about it?

[birdish]

I just... wanted to make sure that... you're doing... all right. [He says it like he's got no backbone.]

[openturn]

[ there's a pause, and then he smirks. ]

Why wouldn't I be? I just won my heat, after all.

[birdish]

...That's right. You were amazing as ever, so...

[Really, he's just not brave enough to say everything he wants to.]

Because winning... made you happy, right?

[openturn]

Of course it did. I wouldn't have been happy with anything less than that!

[birdish]

[Be courageous, Nitori! You told him when you were upset about his choice to swim the 100m freestyle, so you can do this!

He looks up quite decisively.]

I'm just worried about your feelings outside of swimming, Matsuoka-senpai. This whole thing with Nanase-san... There's a lot more to it than I understand. And it may be none of my business, but... even though you told me to focus on myself... are you focusing on yourself enough, too? Or is your focus on him?

[openturn]

[ whoa, there, Nitori. you just got really deep there and he was not prepared for it. ]

I already beat him. That's all I needed to do -- it's already done.

[birdish]

So you're ready to put all of that behind you? Nanase-san too? [Okay, so maybe he's kind of gettin' all up in Rin's bidness, but... a kouhai should look after his senpai, too ;_; ]

[openturn]

I have more important things to concentrate on now. [ first, Haruka Nanase. then, regionals. and finally the Olympics.

yeah that seems like a logical order of progression!! ]

[birdish]

[rin. pls. rin.]

All right. Because I... I trust in senpai... so I'll trust this! And I'll continue to cheer for you with our team!

[openturn]

[ you shake your head at his master plan now, but wait until rio de janeiro. ]

Heh. Yeah.

[ ... ]

Just don't forget, you're not a cheerleader.

[ teammates gotta pull their weight, you know. ]