Kanji Ike and the others would probably be too excited to even stand.
Kageya Shinjitsu waved and walked toward the teacher.
And that brought him closer to the group of boys.
As he approached the swimming pool,
"Kushida-chan is my target, so don't get in my way."
"Don't think you can do whatever you want just because she's kind."
"You bastard. I won't let you get away with keeping your eyes on Kushida."
"You're such a sneaky creep, pretending to be someone else just to get close to people. Disgusting."
"Bastard."
They looked utterly disgusted. Too bad they weren't cute girls; otherwise, they might have attracted the attention of a pervert.
But the boys' threatening expressions did catch Kageya Shinjitsu's attention.
This has nothing to do with being a pervert.
It's just genuine affection.
How could something like love be perverted?
Looking at the group of four, he saw not only Kanji Ike, but also Yamauchi Haruki, Ken Sudō, and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
It'd be pretty interesting to shatter their little group, make their friendship disappear, and then get them expelled.
"Are you in elementary school?"
"You're reserving a girlfriend now? I think I heard about your so-called girlfriend recruitment before."
"You said something so embarrassing. Has not a single girl in class even gotten close to you yet?"
"That's why you're imagining you could be with that girl. Too bad. Keep trying!"
Kageya Shinjitsu hadn't expected to hear talk about reserving a girlfriend, the sort of thing you only heard in elementary or middle school, even here.
He didn't care that he was surrounded. Giving them a look like they were idiots, he tossed out a few more cutting remarks.
He acted as if he'd never give up on Kushida Kikyo—and even planned to enjoy her company to the fullest.
Kanji Ike's face flushed with rage. He was ready to fight Kageya Shinjitsu for three hundred rounds.
"You bastard..."
There were so many people around. Ike had more to say, but seeing the teacher, he shut his mouth.
"Trash. Bet he can't even swim."
At the end, as he watched Kageya Shinjitsu step up, he muttered an insult.
In Kanji Ike's eyes, the guy had no friends at all, and middle school had probably been no different.
There was no way he could swim or do anything like that.
A perverted, twisted freak.
Kageya Shinjitsu had caught the attention of someone like that.
Poor Kushida-chan.
While Kanji Ike's mind was filled with fantasies,
the situation in the pool had already exceeded his expectations.
Splash!
Kageya Shinjitsu dove into the water like a flying fish. Swimming called for strength, speed, and technique.
It was a little challenging.
He made it to the other end and climbed out.
"Twenty-two point five seconds."
The teacher sounded a little shocked as he called out the time.
Another monster. Little Class 1-D was full of hidden talent. Three freaks?
"Hey, looks like we've got someone pretty good after all."
Koenji Rokusuke, who had been watching from nearby, felt his competitive spirit stir.
He looked quite interested in Kageya Shinjitsu's physique.
Why is his score so good?
Seeing Kageya Shinjitsu's time, Kanji Ike said frantically. He'd been planning to make fun of him.
He was especially jealous when Kushida Kikyo ran over to welcome Kageya Shinjitsu. It made him feel as if someone had made a move on his wife.
"Sudō, you absolutely can't lose to him."
Ike hadn't stood a chance of taking part in the final.
All he could do was ask his friend Ken Sudō.
"Are you stupid?"
"He's obviously trained for this."
"How could I possibly beat him?"
Ken Sudō scoffed.
He still had some sense. If it were basketball, he might have given it a shot.
But swimming?
He wasn't a swimmer. He'd gotten this far on physical ability alone.
He wasn't happy about it, but losing was only natural.
"Wow!"
"Kageya really is amazing!"
As soon as he climbed out, a beautiful girl came over, cheering excitedly in a soft, sweet voice.
It was like love.
"I told you Kageya was amazing."
Kushida Kikyo smiled kindly and touched his muscles a few more times.
He really was strong.
There probably wasn't anyone else in class who could compare.
"Ah, I just got lucky."
Kageya Shinjitsu exhaled and gave her a perfunctory answer.
Swimming fifty meters in one go had made his breathing a little heavier.
But he recovered quickly.
"Good luck!"
"Go, Kageya!"
Kushida Kikyo was great at cheering people on with a cute, playful air.
After a short rest, the teacher organized the final race before class ended.
The five fastest boys would compete.
A little over twenty seconds later,
Koenji Rokusuke climbed out too. He looked at Kageya Shinjitsu with great interest and showed off his briefs.
"I never imagined there'd be someone like you in our class. How wonderful."
"But why do you always hide in the corner, gloomy boy?"
"Just luck."
Kageya Shinjitsu gave him a stiff reply.
Then he left.
"This isn't something you can accomplish through luck. You've definitely got a secret, gloomy boy."
"How interesting."
"You actually managed to make me lose."
Koenji Rokusuke talked to himself.
He paid no attention to Ken Sudō, who had only just climbed out and looked upset.
The two of them had left Sudō behind. It had only been a little over three seconds, but from the sidelines, three seconds looked like a huge gap.
"Have you really not considered joining the swimming club?"
"It would be great for your future, too."
After announcing the winner without hesitation, the teacher gave Kageya Shinjitsu five thousand points as a reward. The muscular teacher had also taken notice of him.
He really wanted to recruit him for the swimming club and take him to competitions.
"With proper training, you might make it to the international stage one day."
"No, I'm not very interested in swimming competitions."
Swimming was just exercise. There was no need to live for competitions.
Kageya Shinjitsu refused outright.
The muscular teacher was crushed.
Can people with talent really do whatever they want?
So many people worked themselves to the bone just to compete.
And yet he'd turned the offer down so casually.
Kageya Shinjitsu wasn't the only one. The others the teacher had his eye on had also refused.
They were either uninterested or had other goals.
"That was amazing, Kageya!"
"A lot of girls were talking about you just now. They said you had a great body and looked good, too."
"I heard you're good at studying as well. As long as you don't stare at people and talk to them more, you'll be really popular."
Kushida Kikyo brought him the news.
Kageya Shinjitsu wondered if he'd just gained the right to choose a partner at school.
"I'll tell you a secret. The girls were talking about you just now."
"Some of them are already attracted to you. Keep it up, and you might get a love letter soon."
"If someone asks me for your number, I'll give it to you right away."
She spoke as if she were teaching a little kid how to interact with people.
"Oh, really?"
Kageya Shinjitsu didn't care much about his reputation among the girls.
Once his betrayal of the class came to light, the boys and girls alike would want to kill him anyway.
Reputation was just something to hear about and forget.
Besides, changing someone's opinion based on one swimming race was far too fickle a way to build a reputation.
Before you continue