If there was one thing Kiyoko it was the non-stop buzzing of crickets as Gou opened the stairs to the rooftop where they sat.

 "Hey, their guys guess who printed out photos from training camp!" Gou said as she skipped happily to her seat as Kiyoko got out her lunch.

"Lemme sees them," Nagisa said wantingly as Gou scattered the photos out in front of them.

"Woah, how many photos of us did you even take?" Nagisa said amazed as Kiyoko saw a few of her, one that she was looking out to sea with the wind blowing her hair behind her and her floral coral dress behind her with a soft blue sky that had slowly faded to a tangerine colour making her look almost angelic, another one of her laughing at Rei who was fast asleep with drawings all over him, one with the other boys and the last of her smiling to which Gou had cleverly taken as Rei chased Nagisa down the beach. 

"Check this one out, Haru looks super goofy," Nagisa chuckled

"At least he's looking at the camera for once," Mako said as Haru glared at him

"Wah! How does Kiyoko-senpai look so amazing in all of them?!" Gou screeched

"She's photogenic, the term is," Rei sighed as Kiyoko stared blankly at the photos as she put a piece of her bento in her mouth, "But as for me for the record, I deeply hate how I am portrayed here," he commented on him wearing his floaties on.

"I was preserving the memories," Gou confined pouting

"Hey that's weird, Mako's got some weird creature behind him," Nagisa said as Mako reacted

"That's Miss A wearing a face mask id10t," Gou fired

"You really freaked me out for a second," Mako sighed as Haru picked up a photograph

"Hey is that Samezuka swim team? How did you get these?" Nagisa inquired

"Let's just say on day two, someone did there share of sightseeing," Gou giggled

"We're really lucky to have you Gou," Mako thanked

"How hard did you flirt to get these," Nagisa said as Kiyoko snorted a little as Gou nudged her

"There was no flirting involved!" She retaliated, "Anyways I also have intel on their lineup, here's a list on the hundred metres and two hundred metres breaststroke with Nagisa, backstroke for Mako, and this is who is doing the butterfly with Rei. And there's more intel where that came from when the tournament rolls around along with individual skills and average lap time... oh and my brother will be swimming in the hundred metre-,"

"Freestyle I know," Haru finish 

"Yeah, he didn't even enter any other events including the ones he's really good at,"

---

The day of the district tournament had finally arrived Kiyoko walked up the hill to the graves of the people who had died at sea on the day of the monstrous typhoon, her mother being one of them. 

Seagulls squawked in the distance as the tall outlook over watched the sea, Kiyoko kneeled in front of her mother's gravestone as the wind blew hair backwards with a kite of memories still flying as she held onto the spiritual kite.

"Hey mama," she greeted softly in her mother's Kansai dialect, "I'm actually competing today, at the tournament today never thought I would ever compete today, not ever since the incident a several months ago. But I'm stronger now, I've still been distant but I've managed to make some new good ones like you use to say: as long you've got a few good ones your set. I've also met love as well, I have no experience nor advise to seek from since your not here but I trust in our capabilities. He's a good person, always will be. Mama..." she stopped as she sobbed sniffing.

But Kiyoko felt a sudden warmth to her as strong arms wrapped around her as familiar gentle lips collided on the top of her head.

"Shh, hey, hey I'm here," Rin comforted he said crouching beside behind her as Kiyoko turned and hid her face on his chest, Rin looked at the gravestone in front of him having Kiyoko's mother's maiden his eyes widening but soon returned to Kiyoko.

"Hey Kiyoko's mum," Rin said as he rubbed her back, "Your daughter is absolutely amazing and I'm more than grateful to have her in my life. You would be proud of her, she's talented, smart, beautiful, she's always been there for me back in Australia even though her friends were against me she still stood by me. I may not be worthy of having her-, " Kiyoko had pinched him at that last thing as he chuckled

"It's true," he chuckled looking down, "but I will try and give her everything I can," 

Rin had sat down as he cradled her protectively as he wiped the tears from her face as he then peppered kisses all over her face making her giggle.

"Thank you, Rin," she looked up at him as he smiled

"Anytime beautiful," he replied as he got up, "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," She was pulled up by him with on hand holding his red duffel bag and the other holding her's. 

"Bye Mama," she waved at the gravestone as the two walked down the trail.

"Your mother was impacted by the typhoon too," Rin said softly looking at her

"yeah... I haven't really told you about my mother have I?" Kiyoko looked at Rin 

"Koko, you have to talk about it if you don't want to-,"

"Rin, it feels right that I should tell you, we're together now so I should tell you more about me," she replied, "Remember how I told you the ocean carries our most special memories, like how I was born?" 

"Yeah, I remember you told me about how you were born at sea on a boat," he recalled as she nodded

"Well it seems it can carry our worst as well... my mother was a successful ocean geographer, she would travel a lot for her work but when she met my father she settled in Australia and worked along in the state university. When I was five she was called to Japan for a crucial expedition on further research on Iwatobi's and its neighbour's ocean floor but it seemed the weather took a toll on my mother's life that day along with several of her colleagues," she explained looking down as Rin stopped cupping her cheeks gazing at her dazzling green-blue Caribbean orbs. 

"Hey, I'm here for you, okay?" he said assuringly kissing her, "I love you so much,"

"Same here," she smiled

---

"Alright here's the roster for the today, they're going to kick start the female heats for butterfly followed by the backstroke events in the morning, according to this Haru is scheduled in the fourth heat," Gou said as they stood around her

"Hey look at that, Haru's lane is next to Rin," Nagisa pointed

"So, I assume the group swimmers are by qualifying times?" Mako said as Gou nodded

"That means Haru and Gou are pretty equally matched," Nagisa said

"Here's the rundown on how all of this works, the eight fastest swimmers from each event will move onto the finals, advance to finals to qualify to regionals," she explained as Rei tensed

"You're going to be fine, you've got nothing to worry about," Miss A said, "swim like it's any other day and the most important thing to remember that perseverance is the key, makes me feel like Napoleon once said: five minutes can make a victory or a defeat," she quoted

"Um, the race will be long before five minutes mam," Gou said

"Alright, today is the chance to show all of what we got so whatever happens to remember to have fun," Mako said as they put up their fists.

"Yeah!"

As the rest observed the other schools Kiyoko unpacked her stuff from her cotton blue duffel bag as she got ready for her event.

"What do you think about bamboo Nagisa?" Gou wondered

"That sounds like a cool nickname but I don't get what bamboo has to do with it," Nagisa said dumbfounded,

"Hey didn't Kiyoko have a cool nickname when she used to compete," Nagisa said,

"Ah, I remember didn't they nickname her one of the three Queens of the pool?" Rei said 

"They really call you that?! So cool Kiyoko!" Nagisa said starstruck as Kiyoko pulled out her goggles 

"Yeah! The other is the Butterfly's Bullet," Gou added having her index finger in the air, "Kiyoko still holds three world junior titles under her belt!'

"Oh, we're going to do so great in getting the money!" Nagisa beamed, "Wait, what are the three Queens of the Pool?" as Rei gasped

"You don't know who they are?! Your suppose to know about these kinda things!" Rei scolded, "The three Queens of the pools are nicknames that were given to the top junior female swimmers in the world. Kiyoko here from Australia the Butterfly's Bullet, Ashely Morgan from Australia the Morgan Missle and Anastasia Tehnil the Tehnil Torpedo from Russia," Rei explained

"Aww! I'm jealous!" Nagisa pouted

"Before we get off-topic Gou I'm impressed about how much information you've gathered," Rei said

"Well I am the manager," she chuckled showing her book of annotated notes

"You even took noted on their physiques?" Rei examined

"Yeah well somethings can't be fully captured no matter how well you observe," she drifted her eyes to the males stretching below, "You have to see them in the flesh to fully appreciate them!" as rambled on.

"Hey Gou!" the samezuka captain waved at her

"hey look he's waving to get your attention," Nagisa said

"I told he has to stop calling me Gou," she mumbled, 

"Where's Rin, does anybody see him?" Mako asked, "It's late enough that he has gone to the assembly area, thereafter the female heats,"

"See you guys," Kiyoko waved as she went to the assembly area.

"Good luck Kiyok-chan!' Gou cheered

"Win it for us!" Nagisa called out.

---

Kiyoko walked down the hallway to the assembly room when she got pulled out of nowhere to the side in a corner.

"Rin?" she scolded only to see his smirked face and his arms wrap around her waist.

"Good luck out there Koko," he winked as his breath soon brushed the crook of her neck as she felt light kisses pepper down her shoulder.

"Rin, I have to swim soon," she admonished quietly as Rin chuckled as she could feel his hands slide down to her thigh sending chills escalate up her spine.

"Your adorable," he said as he collided his lips on her ones tasting some of the mint of her toothpaste earlier on, "Love you, cheer for me okay?"

"Of course," she replied taking a last peck as she untangled herself from his grasp as she walked down to the assembly room, they're taking a turn and entering she saw a group gathered with a woman with a checkboard.

"Shiyokawa Asami?"

"Present,"

"Araki Kiyoko?"

"Present," her delicate voice called as the name demanded everyone's attention as whispers escalated. 

'It's actually her!'

'Isn't she a national swimmer?'

'Great, there's no way I'll make it,'

'She's here in the flesh,'

"Alright ladies, out you go take a right and walk towards the light," the woman ordered

The assemblage of girls scattered as they all walked out heading out.

"Hey," one of them walked beside her giving her a soft smile

"Hi," Kiyoko replied

"it's a huge honour to meet you, and swim with you, well compete against you, not that's good for me but-, good luck," she stumbled upon her words nervously.

"Thank you, same to you," Kiyoko said as the curtain of light shined revealing the crowd of schools peering down at the girls.

"Go Kiyoko-chan!" Gou cheered loudly as the others did too, Kiyoko only smiled as she then turned the other way to see Samezuka's team and Rin at the railing winking at her.

"Ladies, to the blocks," 

Kiyoko quickly dropped her school team jacket revealing her full piece black tech swimsuit with singlet-like boat neckline reaching down to her mid-thigh that was guided by white pearly lines on the sides.

"hey look it's your girlfriend~," Samezuka's captain snickered jokingly nudging him

"Yeah, she is," Rin smirked still looking at Kiyoko who snapped her black goggles on her adjusting her white cap.

"Wait, what?! She's your girlfriend?! Since when did you get a girlfriend before me?!" he screeched

"So cool Rin-senpai!" Nitori complimented

"Just wait till you see what she can do in the water," he grinned

The whistle blew as Kiyoko in lane five bent remembering her training from Australia, one foot forward the other slightly back with her hands holding onto the edge tightly.

One

There was always a certain time she had just before the gunshot

Two

At that moment she extended back quickly, her back bending like a cat's her finger still gripping to the edge.

Three!

A second before the gunshot, Kiyoko like a bullet shot launched herself outwards into her dive -a little further than the normal dive- releasing the energy as the gunshot her fingers just touched the pool with the cold liquid sending the adrenaline rushing through her body.

"What the hell?!" Seijuro said

"She dived into the water so fast I barely saw it, did she even touch the pool after the gunshot?" Nitori asked

"The thing with Koko is that her dive is impeccable and out of this world that one of the nicknames the media dubbed her was Butterfly's Bullet. When she dives her stance is different from how someone usually dives. Her back foot is just below at the diagonal slant at the back and her front foot is further away from the edge. All the power relies on her arms and fingers, the dive is rarely achieved and hardly anyone can polish it but Kiyoko seems she cracked it and is beyond polishing," Rin explained

"Why only a few get rarely achieve it?" Nitori asked curiously

"Well for one, you can easily shatter and damage your hamstrings with that type of move, you have to have great flexibility; the other is upper body strength that is the key role of the launch it all relies on the arms. It's like pulling yourself forward, the more you pull back an elastic the further it goes, and last is getting the dive right. You can't just go for a normal dive, a perk for this dive is that you go slightly further than a normal dive but if you go to straight you belly flop, if you go slightly to horizontal you go too deep, if you go to vertical on the dive chances are that you can be disqualified. You can't range your dives from forty-five degrees to fifty, it has to be one number or else everything can go wrong,"

Kiyoko's form and technique was a true force to be reckoned with, her spine could easily bend and arch, her leg's snapped from a willow blowing in the wind to a rock colliding with the water and her consistency like a machine.

"She's going for the turn!" Mako watched

"She's in front of them by a mile!" Nagisa added

Kiyoko's turn took slightly longer but the amount of force she sprung from the wall saved her as her arms rotated in and out of the water like a propeller.

As her fingers slammed onto the wall Kiyoko instantly looked at the scoreboard to see her name beside the number one.

"She won!"Nagisa cheered as he shook Rei who was captivated by her swim. 

"No way! She's broken the tournament record for one hundred metre butterfly for bother female and male! One minute and nine-point eight seconds!" Mako said astonished

All hail the queen