“Sana-sama, I humbly suggest for you to descend before you accidentally hurt yourse-” “JUMP IF THOU AREN’T A COWARD- AND DOTH A FRONT FLIP WHILE YOU’RE AT IT!” “No Momo-sama, please don’t encourage this sort of behavio-” “CANON BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!!!” And just like that, a huge splash of water attacks two bystanders. Understandably, one of them shrieks out of pure horror as she runs away. The other merely laughs out loud as she embraces the man-made rainstorm. Sana, the daredevil who had just thrown herself off the diving board, soon resurfaces to the top and gasps for air. She brushes back her wet hair with one swift motion, unveiling the huge, sh*t-eating grin she’s been wearing on her face the entire time. “That felt sooo amazing!” she cries delightfully whilst paddling her way to the ledge of the swimming pool, propping her arms onto the concrete deck soon afterwards. “You girls should totally give it a go! I swear it’s like, super lit, my fam!” “Please just exit the pool before you get yourself in deep trouble, Sana-sama… and why on Earth are you two talking so weirdly?” the stern and semi-dry female sighs, “Don’t tell me the both of you have been surfing the web without permission again…” “Her, probably.” the third girl shrugs with nonchalance, “I’ve only been studying English like a good and diligent student.” “But Momo-sama… nobody speaks in Elizabethan English nowadays.” “Say what now.” Still listening and floating within the spacious pool, Sana giggles lightheartedly at the duo before regaining their attention. “Come on Momo-ring, together let’s show Mi-tang just how much fun she’ll miss out on if she continues being this uptight! You wouldn’t want to miss out on this!” She follows her pursuasion with direct eye-contact, and with just one glance she knows she’s got her best partner-in-crime intrigued. Momo’s eyes can’t lie to save her life, and they’re currently glistening with temptation. At least she’s got enough self-discipline to not immediately launch herself into the water. … Though with that said, she only manages to restrain herself for a total of 5 seconds. After sparing a glance at Mina (which mislead the poor girl into believing she won’t move a muscle), Momo straight up dive-bombs into the water. Sana, being the ever-so supportive friend she is, cheers excitedly as the second splash rains upon her, her best friend’s body now submerging deeply. Mina, on the other hand, gives up on the uncontrollable girls completely as she closes both of her eyes, already mentally preparing for whatever that’s coming their way (and, spoiler alert, he’s on his way alright). Once Momo’s face pops back up, Sana bursts into laughter while launching an attack, splashing the girl continuously until she counterattacks. Dumb and Dumber are now fully immersed within their random water fight, no longer caring about the consequences of their actions (though in all honesty, they’ve never considered that sort of thing in the first place, ever) nor do they remember the fact that they’re actually still fully clothed and they’re currently swimming in their floral one-pieces. “Try jumping from the diving board this time, Momo-ring!” “Okay, and if I execute a front flip successfully, you’ll have to do anything I say.” “Oh honey, I’d be surprised if you can even stand up straigh-” “What on Earth is going on here?” Successfully, the 4th voice’s abrupt entrance scares the living hell out of all three of its listeners, triggering the swimmers to now splash one another by accident as they panic within the water; they desperately want to get away from the intensifying footsteps, yet they’re trapped by their own stupidity. Even the innocent bystander is frozen stiff in her spot, unable to meet the eyes of the man who’s now standing before her, his eyes staring elsewhere. Everything from his facial expressions to his body language showcases a strong sense of aggravation, his stern gaze sending chills down their spines. “Care to enlighten me about what I’m currently witnessing, ladies?” he immediately snaps, eyeing the guilty duo as they scramble out of the pool to hide behind their potential saviour (AKA the smart one who may be able to talk their way out of trouble, as usual). “With plenty of evidences to conclude that you were acting extremely foolishly, how will you justify your behaviour this time, Sana-sama?” “We um… we just wanted to cool ourselves down from the heat, that’s all.” the girl replies timidly, a hand now grasping tightly onto the back of Mina’s blouse. “I gave the diving board a try as I’ve never used it before, plus it’s not like we have witnesses other than ourselves here, Ryo-kun…” “Regardless, that does not give you the permission to act so indecently, Sana-sama!” the suited man retorts with a raised volume, “How many times must I lecture you about this matter? You are a princess- one who possesses the most powerful and well-respected surname of our country, in fact! How dare you tarnish your own name with reckless behaviours such as this, especially so as the future heir to the throne! Do you not understand that you’re placing the Minatozaki clan’s reputation on the line here?!” As if they’re holding in their breathes out of pure fright, both Minatozaki Sana and Hirai Momo are now dead silent behind their small human shield, the only audible sound being the water droplets that are still free-falling down the hems of their dresses. Being royal descents, they knew what’s expected from them and how they should act… it’s just they don’t want to comply. The only one who’s capable of following all the rules without any complaints is Myoui Mina, who’s not-so-coincidentally also the one that’s currently receiving a deep bow from the Minatozaki clan’s head butler. “Mina-sama, I must beg you for your guidance.” the man pleads with sincerity, “You are the perfect role model for any royal princess, hence it would truly be a blessing to the Minatozaki clan if Mina-sama can somehow influence our princess with your gracious self.” “I…” the girl shuffles uncomfortably from the weight on her shoulders, not knowing what to think of the sudden request; all she wants is for this lecture to end as soon as possible (for the sake of everyone involved), thus she settles with an answer that will satisfy the man. “I understand, Ryosuke-san. I will try my best to assist Sana-sama with her etiquette, so please excuse them with a mere warning this time. Such a mistake will not occur twice.” Sure enough, that does the trick. The suited man proceeds to divert his attention back onto the actual troublemakers, his gaze hardening as soon as his eyes meet theirs. “I shall accept Mina-sama’s request as a form of gratitude, however you ladies must remind yourselves once more that princesses do not leap into pools- let alone do so in inappropriate clothing. If you’re done here, please advance and get yourselves cleaned up before anyone falls ill from their own foolishness.” Saved, the Minatozaki princess finally pops her head out from behind Mina’s shoulders, a big pout lingering on her lips. “We understand, Ryo-kun…” Momo follows suit with an identical expression, hoping to overpower the man’s sternness with their puppy eyes. “We won’t do this again, sir.” At last, the head butler is fully satisfied and takes his highly-anticipated leave (after eyeing the troublemakers one last time, that is). Once he’s completely out of sight, all three princesses release a long, deep sigh in union. Mina places a trembling hand above her pounding chest and tries to calm down her nerves. Momo leans her head against Mina’s back for both physical and emotional support. Sana’s legs straight up giv