Maki's challenge (Pixiv Fanbox)

“I challenge you!” Maki declared, pointing at Saki with a determined look.

“Ehh? I don’t really feel like holding my breath today,” Saki mumbled, already used to Maki’s almost daily attempts to beat her record.

“I’m still thirty seconds ahead of you,” Saki reminded her. “Why would today be any different?”

“Because I’ve been practicing,” Maki shot back. “And I finally figured out how to beat you.”

Saki sighed. “You always push yourself until you black out. That’s not fair. Of course you win when you leave yourself with nothing left. And I’m always the one who has to drag you back up.”

Maki clenched her fists. “...That’s exactly why. If I stay down too, then I can beat you.”

“Hoooh?” Saki mused, half-distracted as she sorted through outfits for their supposed underwater date.

She glanced over at Maki with an amused smile. “So you’re saying you’d drown with me today, just to prove a point?”

“...Yes,” Maki answered without hesitation.

Their school was closed for the day, but that hardly mattered to the two lovebirds. Sneaking into the indoor pool after hours had long since become one of their favorite ways to spend time together.

“Staying under until you drown is pretty difficult,” Saki said casually. “You sure you can actually do it?”

“...” Maki hesitated.

“I’ve never drowned before,” she admitted quietly. “So I can’t really promise anything.”

“Then we’ll just make sure we both drown,” Saki called out cheerfully from behind the storage room door as she searched for equipment.

A moment later, she returned carrying a set of chains. With a bright smile, she held them up.

“With these, even if your body resists, they’ll keep you underwater.”

Maki stared at the chains, uncertainty flickering across her face.

“Y-you’re serious about this...”

Then, after a pause:

“You told Kurumi what we’re doing, right?”

“Yeah. She’ll be here later to pull us out and check the timer to see who won.”

Maki let out a small breath of relief.

“Well then,” Saki said, grinning as she stepped toward the edge of the pool, “let’s take a deep breath and jump in together, Maki-chan.” Saki tied both their hands and feet, followed by both of them dropping into the water.

After jumping in and floating to the bottom thanks to the weight of the chains, they assumed a sitting position close to eachother, holding their breath with focus as the timer started. Maki landed on her knees while Saki took a confident position with her legs spread. As the seconds started passing, Maki started feeling the weight of the sitation, she was gonna stay down here until she drowns. While the thought scared her, it also made her excited. Looking to the side at saki, she noticed she had quite the grin on her face, probably enjoying the fact that her girlfriend would do this with her.

"blrlbrg" Saki blurted out, exhaling some air and seemingly enjoying herself underwater. Maki started feeling it, the sensation of needing to breathe, but she was dedicated this time and kept focus while closing her eyes as the challenge had begun.

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Moments after the two girls drowned, Kurumi finally arrived and hauled them back to the surface to save them.

“Cough—! Cough, cough—!”

Maki jerked awake, gasping violently as Kurumi steadied her by the shoulders. Water dripped from her hair while she struggled to catch her breath.

Beside the pool, Saki was already sitting up with a towel around her shoulders, looking annoyingly refreshed.

The moment Maki recovered enough to focus, Saki grinned smugly.

“I watched you drown first, Maki-chan. I think it’s pretty obvious I won again.”

“Aga—cough!” Maki sputtered, glaring at her.

“...Again,” she muttered bitterly once she could finally breathe properly.

Saki laughed. “You really can’t beat me after all!”

Maki clenched her fists, cheeks flushed with frustration.

“Then let’s do another round! I’m not losing again!”

“Ehhh?! I'm done saving your asses” Kurumi cried in disbelief while Saki burst out laughing.

By the end of the night, the three of them had drowned a total of 7 times, with Maki repeatedly challenging Saki over and over again.

Final score: 7–0 to Saki.