“Outside the gym, just after sundown. Don’t bother getting too dressed up this time”
As I make my way downstairs, Miki’s words run through my head.  I’ve been trying to work out just what on earth she has in mind.  More exercise? As a date?
Approaching the building I hear footsteps behind me. Like someone was trying to close the distance and sneak up on me at the same time, but only really doing one. Content, that I’ve let them get close enough, I turn around.
Miki freezes, like a child caught with its hand in the cookie jar. She’s poised like she was about to pounce on me. It dawns on me that this is the first time I’ve seen her out of uniform. She’s wearing a pair of frayed denim shorts and a white shirt with some kind of wave logo on it. But really grabs my attention is the fact she has her gym bag slung over her shoulder

“You saw nothing, got it?” she says as she throws her arm around my shoulder and guides me onwards.
“Where exactly are you taking me?” I ask as we round the corner of the gym.

“Shhh” She flashes a knowing grin. “You’ll see”

We round another corner and are now walking along the back of the gym. Her attention is on the row of windows just above head height that line the otherwise featureless brick wall. She seems to be looking for a particular one. Satisfied that she’s found the right one, she walks over to a freestanding bench by the edge of the path


“Here grab the other end of this” she bends over slightly to pick up one end it. I open my mouth to ask why but realise the futility. I pick up the other end and follow her. We place the bench up against the wall

“Ok here” she says and drops the bench. She motions to a pair of garbage bins nearby “we’ll need one of those too. Empty would be nice”

Just what the hell is she doing? Nonetheless, I upend one into the other and bring her the empty can. She turns it upside down and places it on top of the bench. Hang on a second, she’s not... oh good lord she is....
She climbs up onto the can, putting the bottom of the window at shoulder height. And I quickly realise, her posterior at eye height.

“Mr Nakai, have you no manners?” she says in a ridiculous posh accent and flashes a cheeky grin before returning her focus to the window. As she pushes it up, a piece of folded cardboard falls out of it. It’s what was stopping the window from locking no doubt. She drops the bag inside.
“...are you sure this is a good idea? We could get in a lot of trouble if we get caught”
“Yeah, if we get caught” she grunts as she pulls herself up into the window.
“But...”
“What’s the matter, chicken?” she taunts before dropping out of sight

I briefly weigh up the pros of cons of breaking into the school. Con: I could get expelled or even arrested. The image from a few seconds ago flashes back to my mind. Fuck it, that enough pros for me. I climb up on to the can. Fuck I don’t even know what I’m breaking into. With a great deal of effort I pull myself up and through the window before dropping awkwardly into the dark room. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

It dawns on me where we are.

I’d completely forgotten that this school had a swimming pool