Classroom of the Elite, After the Intel Refreshed, They Always Want to Conquer Me! 20

Kushida smiled slightly: "You misunderstood, that's not what I meant. Come to think of it, when I asked Shimizu-kun last week if he knew how to swim, he said he hadn't practiced much. But look at him now—" she pointed toward the pool, "he finished the whole length in just over twenty seconds."

At this moment, a commotion broke out in the boys' area.

Sudo Ken and Kouenji Rokusuke had impatiently cleared the students from one corner of the pool, each claiming a lane and unintentionally sparking a competition with Shimizu Akira.

Among the onlookers, some whistled while others cheered, and the once-quiet swimming lesson instantly transformed into a small arena.

Several boys shoved each other, seemingly eager to join this impromptu race.

After a heated discussion, everyone's eyes eventually landed on Hirata Yosuke and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.

"It's decided, you two are up!" one boy declared.

"True, looking at their builds, Hirata and Ayanokouji-kun are the most suitable," the girls whispered among themselves.

Hirata Yosuke offered a gentle smile, "Since everyone says so..."

Meanwhile, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stood by with his usual expressionless face, merely nodding slightly in agreement.

"See, the other competitive boys can't hold back anymore," Kushida said while observing. "Shimizu-kun's physical talent is truly impressive, it's enviable. He must be the kind of genius who wins first place in any sports competition he signs up for."

Because of her experiences in middle school, she had long understood that her greatest advantage was not a robust physique or extraordinary intellect.

So, when she saw those gifted classmates, feelings of envy and jealousy would inevitably well up inside her.

"What do you do at five-thirty every morning? Do you have a habit of exercising?" Horikita Suzune asked suddenly.

"At that time..." Kushida Kikyou blinked, looking slightly confused, "I'm probably still sleeping. But on my days off~ I make sure to run five kilometers."

Horikita's gaze drifted past her, landing on the agile figure in the pool. "That person," she said, "has been waking up at five-thirty to train every single day since the second day of school, appearing on the track at seven sharp to run laps. He says he's kept it up for eight years."

"How many days have you kept it up? It's just..." Horikita suddenly turned to Kushida, her eyes as sharp as ice blades, "running occasionally—what right do you have to judge someone else's talent? At your current level, you don't even meet the threshold to talk about physical talent."

Kushida's sweet smile froze instantly, her voice trembling unnaturally: "This..."

"I, I'm sorry!" she hurriedly lowered her head, "I... I was just speaking off the cuff, I absolutely didn't mean to belittle Shimizu-kun's hard work!"

Horikita didn't even bother to lift her eyelids; she simply turned away coldly, putting a half-step of distance between them and building an invisible wall with her silence.

"Horikita-san..." Kushida forced a smile, though her voice sounded like a taut violin string, "could you tell me... why you are so unwilling to accept my friendship?"

The air solidified for a few seconds.

"...I understand." Kushida's smile stiffened completely, a flicker of darkness flashing in the depths of her eyes. "You don't even think an explanation is worth it. Then I won't make a fool of myself. I'm sorry to have bothered you, Horikita-san. I will formally apologize to Shimizu-kun later."

(That arrogant bitch! How many times have I lowered myself to initiate a conversation?)

(Die, die, die! Why doesn't Horikita Suzune just get struck by lightning!)

(I just let one honest thought slip, and this bitch seizes the chance to humiliate me!)

(I've been losing to those brawny women in sports since middle school, why should I waste time on my weaknesses? Is her brain filled with cement? Good thing I wasn't in her class in middle school... otherwise I would have suffered.)

(Wait... could this woman have a crush on Shimizu Akira? She's so protective of him, she even remembers his morning run schedule!)

(Disgusting stalker! Who would like a clingy woman like you!)

She maintained her flawless smile as she turned around, her gaze locking back onto the figure cutting through the waves in the pool.

(And this Shimizu Akira too... he was definitely playing dumb during the last selection, right? He actually chose Kouenji!)

(This physique is supposed to be from training? Eight years? Who are you kidding!)

(Though... watching him give up his seat to that old lady, he does seem genuinely dim.)

(This kind of simple-minded pushover... is the easiest to manipulate.)

(Now that the line to Horikita is broken, I can only use him to fish for information about "that matter" from Horikita...)

(That Hirata too! So popular in class! It's clear that this class only needs one core figure, and that's me!)

(Ahhh... so annoying! Why does nothing go my way!)

(I'll have to have a good "stress relief" session tonight.)

At this moment, Kushida Kikyou's fingertips rested lightly against her chin, and the gloom in her eyes vanished without a trace.

She suddenly bloomed with a smile as bright as spring, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting toward the pool: "Shimizu-kun—go for it!"

035 Making Kushida Kikyou pout

Shimizu Akira suddenly noticed during a breath that there were four more competitors in the pool than before.

(Are all five lanes occupied?)

The waves of cheering ringing in his ears caught him off guard, especially since his own name was mixed in.

(Strange... I haven't done anything special for the class.)

Though puzzled, the feeling of being cheered on by everyone was actually quite nice.

When he reached the tenth lap, he glanced to both sides during his turn and realized that only Kouenji Rokusuke was still keeping up in the lanes.

Sudo Ken and Hirata Yosuke had long since dropped out, and even the mysterious Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was nowhere to be seen.

(Sudo and Hirata must have given it their all... but that Ayanokouji definitely held back.)

Shimizu Akira recalled Ayanokouji's lean, muscular build—which was completely at odds with his perceived ability—and the way the defined lines moving underwater clearly contained immense explosive power.

That kind of physique, forged through long-term training, is not something one can achieve just by swimming around casually.

"Alright, that's enough!" The physical education teacher, who had arrived at some point, blew his whistle to interrupt this impromptu race. "You two are both winners!"

The teacher checked his stopwatch, forced to admit that the performance of these two students far exceeded his expectations.

To avoid disrupting the normal class for other students, he decisively put an end to this increasingly intense competition.

As a reward, the teacher transferred five thousand private points to each of them, then extended an enthusiastic invitation: "Would you consider joining the Swimming Club? With your abilities, you would definitely become mainstays of the school team."

Shimizu Akira wiped the water droplets from his face and shook his head politely: "Sorry, teacher, I have already joined the Boxing Club."

"Hmph~" Kouenji Rokusuke elegantly shook his wet blonde hair, revealing his signature arrogant smile. "This level of club activity is not enough to pique my interest~"

Shimizu Akira sat on the edge of the pool and began to rest.

Not far away, Karuizawa Kei was surrounded by her group of gal friends, letting out silver-bell-like laughter from time to time.

Ever since she joined the Boxing Club during the lunch break, she seemed to radiate a new vitality—her laughter was more flamboyant, and the "gal vibe" she deliberately projected in her gestures was much more natural than before.

Shimizu Akira withdrew his gaze, lost in thought.

(After finding a protector, is she slowly starting to let her guard down?)

However, to his surprise, Kushida Kikyou walked straight toward him.

The girl walked with light, brisk steps, her voice crisp and pleasant: "Shimizu-kun, you were amazing! You got first place!"

"Not first," he corrected calmly. "Kouenji-kun did as well."

"Oh my," Kushida clasped her hands together, tilting her head with a playful expression. "A tie for first is still first! In the eyes of our classmates, you are the undisputed first place!"

Shimizu Akira knew very well why she was so obsessed with the title of "first place."

—It was nothing more than the belief that as long as one stands in the spotlight, one can garner more attention.

"Shimizu-kun," Kushida suddenly changed the subject, leaning forward slightly with her hands behind her back.

"Are you and Horikita-san... dating?" She blinked those seemingly innocent, large eyes, her tone as light as if she were discussing the weather.

"No." He answered crisply and cleanly.

"Is that so? Really?!" Kushida let out a sigh of relief unconsciously, then, as if realizing something, hurriedly covered it up with a smile. "Ah, I was just a little curious..."

Shimizu Akira watched her in silence; this girl was truly skilled—the perfectly timed body language, that look of wanting to say something but holding back.

If it were any other high school boy experiencing his first crush, he probably would have misunderstood and thought she was interested in him.

"Ah, right!" A look of annoyance appeared on Kushida's face. "I must offer a sincere apology to Shimizu-kun!"

"Earlier, when I was chatting with Horikita-san..." Her voice grew lower, her fingers twisting together uneasily. "I accidentally said the wrong thing, saying that your physical strength was just due to talent... brushing off the hard work you put into training every day so lightly..."

By the end, her tone carried obvious self-reproach. As she stole a glance at Shimizu's reaction, her eyelashes fluttered gently, like a small animal that had done something wrong.

Anyone who saw this expression would feel pity and find it hard to blame her.

Shimizu Akira felt no ripples in his heart; he even found it somewhat ridiculous.

—This wasn't "saying the wrong thing" at all; she had simply let a slip of the truth escape.

However, after a moment of silence, Shimizu Akira said with a hint of subtle emotion, "It's just pure luck! Well, my 'talent' is pretty good."

What else could he say? He couldn't exactly talk about things like System Shenlan Stat Allocation, could he?

"..."

Kushida Kikyou widened her eyes slightly.

Because of her sensitive personality since childhood, she had long been accustomed to observing the acceptance speeches of those "first place" winners on the podium.

Most people would passionately describe how they "worked desperately hard" or "overcame difficulties," as if they couldn't prove their worth without constantly mentioning their sweat and tears.

But this boy in front of her...

Could he actually attribute his achievements to "talent" so calmly?

This was the first time in over a decade that she had heard someone admit they were the one "favored by the heavens" in such a matter-of-fact tone.

However, rather than the superficial reason of appreciating his honest personality, a more precise judgment had already formed in her heart.

(This Shimizu-kun... as I expected, he really is quite simple.)

She was about to speak, but the other party broke the silence first.

"Kushida-san... you've been working hard."

"...Eh?" Kushida Kikyou was slightly taken aback, then revealed a confused smile. "Why would Shimizu-kun suddenly say that?"

"Your skin tone is a bit darker than before," the other party pointed to his own arm to illustrate. "You must have gone to the pool to practice swimming specifically last weekend, right?"

"Eh? Was, was I found out..." Kushida Kikyou was slightly startled, her long eyelashes fluttering gently, and a look of natural surprise appeared on her face.

She really hadn't expected that—a detail that no other classmate had noticed by the poolside had actually been keenly captured by this person in front of her.

"Look, the skin tone of the rest of the class is quite normal; you're the only one who practiced swimming in advance," the other party continued.

"Oh my... don't say that, it's actually just because I'm not very good at swimming." Kushida lowered her head, appearing shy, while the corners of her mouth curled up in an imperceptible arc.

036 He/She is so simple

(Say more... how could those mediocre fools ever compare to my dedication?)

As early as last week, Kushida Kikyou had used her meticulously woven network of interpersonal relationships to scout out the swimming class schedules of the other classes.

Upon learning that the physical education teacher would be organizing a freestyle race during class, she immediately realized—this was a perfect opportunity.

And so, throughout the entire weekend, while other students were perhaps leisurely enjoying their holiday, she spent her time alone in the pool, repeatedly practicing every detail of her strokes, breathing, and turns.

Her arms ached from the continuous training, yet she merely shook off the water droplets and dove back into the pool once more.

(It has to be perfect...)

And now, with this secret effort being pointed out, a strange sense of satisfaction welled up from the bottom of her heart.

It was as if a carefully arranged stage finally had an audience member who saw through the effort behind the curtain; the shame of being seen through and a secret pleasure intertwined, causing her heartbeat to accelerate slightly.

The dark thoughts from just a moment ago quietly faded, replaced by a subtle sense of exhilaration.

(Heh... Shimizu-kun is quite good with his words today; I'll curse him a little less tonight. As for that bitch... she won't be so lucky.)

The physical education teacher's booming voice suddenly rang out by the poolside: "Girls' group, get ready! The 50-meter freestyle race is about to begin, and the first-place winner will be rewarded with 5,000 private points!"

A few minutes later.

Kushida Kikyou stood at the edge of the swimming pool, her eyes scanning the lane dividers without leaving a trace.

(Although swimming isn't exactly my strong suit... I didn't spend these past two days practicing for nothing.)

(I originally only wanted to fish for information about Horikita Suzune from Shimizu Akira... I didn't expect to talk for so long without realizing it; it was actually quite relaxing talking to him.)

(However... since Shimizu-kun is so naive.)

She narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corners of her mouth.

(These things... I'll leave them for next time.)

(Kushida really is naive.)