Swimming Lesson Showdown

Swimming class.

For most hormone-raging adolescent boys, those two words conjured up a single image.

All of it pointed to the girls in the pool, the fabric clinging to their bodies after being soaked through.

Inside the boys' changing room, the air was humid and hot, thick with the smell of disinfectant.

Kazehara Tetsu slowly unbuttoned his school uniform shirt.

He didn't join any of the small group conversations, just leaned against the locker, changing into his swim trunks at a leisurely pace.

"Yo, Kagihara, spacing out alone here? Not gonna go make nice with the others?"

A slightly flippant voice sounded beside him.

Kazehara Tetsu turned his head and saw a handsome guy with light blonde medium-length hair leaning against the locker next to him, also wearing only swim trunks.

He had a well-proportioned build, with a commercialized smile plastered on his face.

Hashimoto Masayoshi.

A social butterfly who acted like he knew everyone.

"Make nice?"

Kazehara Tetsu pulled the locker door shut with a soft clang. "Hashimoto, the way you say that makes it sound like my relationships with others are terrible."

"Haha, how could that be."

Hashimoto Masayoshi laughed, stepped closer, and lightly elbowed Kazehara Tetsu's arm, lowering his voice. "But more than that, I'm actually more interested in you, Kagihara. After all, you're probably the only one who could catch that Sakayanagi's eye and even go to a club orientation meeting together, right?"

His eyes sparkled with curiosity. In his view, Kazehara Tetsu, who had managed to drag the chairman's daughter out in just one day, clearly had something special about him.

"Maybe it's just that my face happens to match her aesthetic?"

Kazehara Tetsu turned to face Hashimoto. "After all, everyone loves beauty, isn't it?"

"Come on!"

Hashimoto waved his hand dramatically. "Sakayanagi doesn't seem like the kind of shallow woman who judges by looks. You definitely have some outstanding qualities. How about it, spill a little? We're both in Class A, sharing intel benefits all of us, doesn't it?"

"Benefits?"

Kazehara Tetsu's gaze swept over Hashimoto's face, which was practically stamped with the word "shrewd." "Hashimoto, when you say 'benefits,' do you mean benefits for Class A, or benefits for yourself?"

Hashimoto's smile froze for a split second, but quickly returned to normal. "Of course I'm thinking about the collective interest, Kagihara, don't misunderstand. Unity is the key to maintaining our relationship, right?"

"Unity..."

Kazehara Tetsu drew out the word. "I think, before talking about unity, it's more important to figure out who's actually the one in charge of 'uniting' everyone else."

With that, he ignored the thoughtful Hashimoto and walked straight toward the exit of the changing room.

Hashimoto Masayoshi stood still, rubbing his chin as he watched Kazehara Tetsu's retreating back. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a hint of seriousness.

This man was even harder to read than he'd imagined.

Pushing open the door to the indoor swimming hall, under the huge glass dome, the deep blue pool water shimmered under the lights, dazzling to the eyes.

The girls had already changed into the school's uniform deep blue one-piece swimsuits, doing warm-up exercises by the poolside, their giggles mixing with the sound of water.

Kazehara Tetsu's gaze swept over the full court.

The girls in Class A were indeed high quality.

Most had well-proportioned figures and fair skin.

His eyes briefly lingered on a few faces he remembered from the original work, then precisely locked onto the other side of the pool.

Kamuro Masumi was leaning alone against the wall, far from the crowd.

She wore the same swimsuit as everyone else, but the tight fabric outlined her body curves to the fullest.

Long, slender legs, and a silhouette that, while not overly exaggerated, was just right.

At the moment, she had her head down, her ash-grey hair casually tied back, a few damp strands clinging to her cheeks and neck.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, her gaze unfocused, looking somewhat vacant and dazed.

A faint, barely perceptible smile tugged at the corner of Kazehara Tetsu's mouth.

Looks like Shannei Chunshu had already made his move.

And from Kamuro Masumi's spaced-out state, the effect... was surprisingly good.

"Alright, everyone gather up!"

The gym teacher's vigorous whistle and shout interrupted Kazehara Tetsu's observation.

The students quickly assembled by the poolside, lined up separately by gender.

"Great weather today, and everyone's enthusiasm is high too!"

The teacher swept his gaze over the students. "Before we start free activity, let's have a little warm-up match. Boys and girls separate, 50-meter freestyle. The first place in each group gets five thousand personal points from me personally!"

"Five thousand points?"

"Not bad, that's a decent amount."

"I absolutely have to get first place!"

A wave of suppressed gasps and commotion immediately rose from the crowd.

Almost everyone's expression shifted. The originally relaxed atmosphere suddenly had a spark of competitive tension injected into it.

For the girls, Kazehara Tetsu wasn't sure what they were thinking, but on the boys' side, the Desire to Win clearly outweighed the temptation of Points.

Kazehara Tetsu didn't react much to this.

Five thousand points held no appeal for him.

And he knew very well that with his current Physical Fitness, getting First Place in this match was almost impossible.

Since that was the case, why bother wasting the effort?

After telling the teacher that he had "accidentally" twisted his ankle this morning, he naturally ended up staying on the sidelines.

The match started quickly. First up was the boys' group.

The students lined up by their lanes.

"Kazehara, you're not participating?" Hashimoto Masayoshi looked at Kazehara Tetsu on the sidelines.

"Not interested. I'll leave the chance to people who need the points more."

The starting whistle blew. The Boys leaped into the water like arrows from a bow, sending up a huge Splashing Water.

The Swimming Pool instantly churned with waves. The whoosh of arms cutting through the water and the splash of kicking legs intertwined.

Class A students generally had decent Physical Fitness, so the competition was fierce.

But soon, in the next round, one figure stood out from the crowd.

Kitou Hayato.

That always silent, burly man. His

swimming form wasn't standard or graceful, but it was filled with explosive power.

Each stroke pushed his body forward like an oar, leaving the others far behind.

In the end, he touched the wall first with an overwhelming lead.

Sparse applause sounded from the sidelines.

Kitou Hayato climbed out of the water expressionlessly. He showed no reaction to the congratulations around him. He just picked up a towel, wiped his face, and walked off to the side alone.

"What a monster!" Hashimoto whistled from the side.