Swimming Competition

The clear pool water rippled gently under Fujiwara Rin's energetic instructions. After several rounds of basic drills and individual guidance, most of the students could keep themselves moving through the water. The splashing and nervous laughter in the shallow end gradually gave way to smoother strokes. Fujiwara Sensei stood at the edge of the pool, her amber eyes sweeping over it like an experienced captain inspecting sailors on their maiden voyage. Her cheerful smile held a touch of scrutiny that was hard to detect.

"Looks like most of you are starting to get the hang of it and can swim now, right?" She clapped her hands, her encouraging voice carrying across the pool and instantly catching everyone's attention. "Well, practicing by itself is pretty boring! How about we do something exciting?"

Her words were like a stone tossed into still water, stirring ripples of anticipation. The students stopped swimming and turned to look at their teacher.

"The rules are simple!" Fujiwara Sensei held up a finger, her smile bright. "Boys and girls will compete separately in a fifty-meter freestyle race, with five people in each heat! The winners..." She drew out the words on purpose, keeping everyone in suspense, before announcing clearly, "The fastest boy and girl will each receive a reward of 5,000 Personal Points!"

"Whoa—!"

"5,000 points?!"

"Seriously?"

Gasps and excited chatter erupted around the pool. 5,000 points! Although it was a far cry from the 100,000 they'd received before, it was still a fortune worth envying! It was enough to eat at the Shopping Street cafeteria for ten days or half a month, or to buy quite a few necessities! The weary atmosphere from training was instantly set alight. Everyone was raring to go, eyes shining with anticipation.

Ichinose Honami immediately clenched her small fists in excitement. "This is great! I'm going to do my best!" She looked at the girls beside her, her eyes full of fighting spirit. Shimiya Kuki, resting by the pool, had been calm, but at the words "5,000 Personal Points," a barely perceptible ripple passed through the depths of his eyes. No one could completely ignore points. If there was something he could get his hands on, why give it up?

The groups were formed quickly. The boys went first. When the first group of five stepped onto the Starting Platform, the atmosphere in the Swimming Hall instantly grew tense and focused. Fujiwara Sensei took the role of starter herself, and her sharp whistle split the air!

"Ready—go!"

Five figures launched themselves into the water like arrows loosed from bows, kicking up great sprays. The pool was instantly churned by the fierce Competition. The students watching from the sidelines burst into enthusiastic cheers. Fujiwara Sensei stood at the pool's edge, her sharp gaze following every swimmer as she accurately called out the winning times for each heat.

Heat after heat passed, and the differences in speed gradually became clear. Some ran out of strength halfway through, some lost their form, and others displayed unexpectedly impressive skill.

At last, it was Shimiya Kuki's group's turn. His heat also included Shibata Kaede, a tall, well-built boy who had been chatting animatedly with Ichinose in the Locker Room, as well as Kanzaki Ryuji.

Shimiya Kuki stood on the Starting Platform and calmly adjusted his breathing. Water droplets ran down the well-defined lines of his muscles, and the hideous Scar Mark on his chest stood out under the bright lights, drawing several complicated looks from those nearby. He seemed not to notice, his gaze fixed solely on the deep blue water ahead.

"Ready—go!"

The instant the whistle sounded, Shimiya Kuki's body released like a bowstring drawn taut. He entered the water cleanly and smoothly, making barely a splash. His freestyle wasn't the explosive charge Shibata Kaede's was. Instead, it was fluid and efficient, honed through countless trials until it was almost instinctive. His strokes were precise, his rhythm steady, and every breath came at just the right moment. He held a perfect streamlined position in the water, as if he'd become one with it. He wasted no movement, converting every ounce of force into forward momentum.

Shibata Kaede was right behind him. His strokes were broad and powerful, brimming with raw strength; each one sent water flying. He was incredibly fast, surging forward with fierce momentum and keeping less than half a body length behind Shimiya Kuki. Their duel became the focus of the entire pool. Kanzaki Ryuji was in third place. His form was as precise and standard as his thinking, but he was clearly lacking in speed and strength, and the two in front gradually pulled away from him.

The cheers from the sidelines reached their peak. Ichinose Honami clutched her fists nervously, staring without blinking at the figure gliding through the water like a fish—and at the scar on his chest, faintly visible beneath the surface.

At the 25-meter Turning Point, Shimiya Kuki executed a crisp Tuck Turn, losing almost no speed and immediately opening up a small lead over Shibata Kaede. Shibata's turn was slower, sending up a bigger splash. During the final stretch, Shibata let out a low growl and gave everything he had to catch up, water spraying everywhere. But Shimiya Kuki was like a precision machine running a preset program. His rhythm never faltered; instead, he picked up speed over the final ten meters and shot through the water like an arrow, touching the wall first!

"Lane one, 25 seconds flat!" Fujiwara Sensei pressed the stopwatch and called out the time clearly, a hint of approval in her voice. She glanced at the boy who had just surfaced. He was breathing slightly hard, the scar on his chest rising and falling with each breath, but his expression remained perfectly calm.

Shibata Kaede touched the wall right behind him, with a time of 26.17 seconds. He wiped the water from his face and looked at Shimiya Kuki with frustration and fierce competitiveness. Kanzaki Ryuji came in third with a time of 29.33 seconds.

The girls' race was just as fierce. Although Ichinose Honami's technique wasn't particularly polished, she made it through her heat thanks to her excellent coordination and refusal to give up. In the end, she took first place among the girls with a time of 31.19 seconds!

"Excellent!" Fujiwara Sensei said, looking at the score sheet and nodding with satisfaction. "The fastest boy was Shimiya Kuki, at 25 seconds! The fastest girl was Ichinose Honami, at 31.19 seconds! Congratulations to you both. Your 5,000 Private Points rewards will be credited to your personal accounts today!"

Applause and cheers rang out, mingled with envy for the winners and eagerness for the reward. Ichinose Honami smiled happily and waved to her friends on the sidelines. Shimiya Kuki climbed out of the pool in silence and picked up a towel to dry himself, as if the 5,000 points had nothing to do with him. Only the wet scar on his chest stood out even more under the lights. Shibata Kaede stared at his back, his gaze burning.

Swimming Lesson ended when Fujiwara Sensei announced that class was over. Excited chatter about the race and the point reward still filled the Locker Room, but Shimiya Kuki had already changed and quietly left the Swimming Hall.

When he returned to Building B Room 307, the evening sun poured through the large window and filled the small room. The cooking equipment he'd bought had been installed the day after he purchased it, while he was in class. That evening, he had also shopped for a week's worth of groceries: rice, eggs, several of the cheapest vegetables in season, frozen chicken breast, basic seasonings... He'd chosen discounted goods and necessities with precision. The total came to 2,150 PP.

A simple meal of stir-fried vegetables and pan-fried chicken breast, served with steaming white rice. The dinner he'd made with his own hands gave him a particular sense of comfort.

After dinner, he carefully cleaned the stove and dishes. In the bathroom, warm water poured from the showerhead, washing away the day's fatigue and the smell of chlorine from the pool. The water ran over his strong chest, washing across the deepest scar, as if branded into his skin. The pain of the past was long gone, leaving only this silent record on his body.

He tilted his head back and let the water wash over his face. The 5,000-point reward was barely a drop in the bucket. A refrigerator was a necessity, but spending 15,000 points meant he needed more sources of income. Fujiwara Sensei's reminder that "survival skills would come in handy," along with the clear sense of the island's ever-present laws of Competition he'd felt during the race... Every clue pointed in the same direction. Still, there had to be other ways to earn points besides those. He could look into it in the days ahead.

He turned off the water and dried himself. Outside the window, the lights of the Artificial Island came on one by one, like countless eyes watching him.