Scheming in the real world? I can also do a little.

Damn you, Ryuen Shoko, is this how you're going to play it during swimming class?

He had truly lost all face in front of the girls this time.

Shiina Hiyori, standing in the corner of the group, felt she could no longer look at Hoya Chukai directly. She hadn't expected this boy to make her perception of him shift so wildly in just a few short days.

From appearing very reliable at the start, to being cunning and sly, then becoming a shameless guy screaming while being pinned to a desk, and now, a pervert.

She didn't know how to maintain a normal conversation with him anymore.

But this was the most natural phenomenon; people have never been able to be labeled. People are multifaceted. Labels can only distill a person's characteristics, but they cannot summarize the entirety of a person.

Although Hoya Chukai had made a huge fool of himself with this behavior, he was gradually moving away from the image of a terrifying fox in everyone's hearts. He was just an ordinary student, just like the rest of them.

Pah, "just like us," my foot. Can someone who flirts with the boss every day really be the same?

Anyone with eyes could see that Ryuen Shoko's attitude toward Hoya Chukai was different from her attitude toward everyone else. The few times she stepped on his chest looked harsh, but in reality, it was nothing compared to the force she used when beating Albert before. You call this a punishment? This is just playing SM, isn't it?

Because the teacher hadn't arrived at the scene early, he didn't see that scene and didn't know what everyone was thinking. He continued to explain today's task: "We will be learning how to swim during physical education classes for a while. Are there any students who don't know how to swim?"

A few students raised their hands.

"Very well, I will strive to ensure everyone learns how to swim. In this academy, swimming is a very important sport, and you will need it in future exams. So, I hope everyone can put aside the urge to play around and study properly. Additionally, to encourage activity, we will hold a swimming competition ten minutes before the end of class. The first-place boy and girl will each receive a reward of five thousand points."

His words caused an uproar, but because of the presence of Ryuen Shoko, no one was overly excited.

It made sense; with Ryuen Shoko around, there was no need to talk about the girls' side—it would definitely be her. Even if someone had better swimming skills, who would dare to show it? Even if they threw the race, she had to be the one in first place.

As for the boys' side, it went without saying; with Albert's hulking physique, he was basically the winner. The only possibility was that he would throw the race to let Hoya Chukai take first.

This was the result of having a tyrant. If it were a united and friendly class, first place would be based on individual ability, but here, don't even think about it on the girls' side—it was definitely Ryuen Shoko.

It could only be said that on the boys' side, it depended on whether Hoya Chukai wanted to bully the honest guy.

Hoya Chukai really didn't care about those five thousand points. It was true that he was short on points, but that didn't mean he was so desperate that he needed to lose face to snatch them. Five thousand wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a little either; so what if Albert took it?

"Then, students who know how to swim can engage in free activities. Those who don't, please come with me; I will teach you how to swim. Also, everyone in the class must participate in the competition later. I don't want any students to deceive the teacher for the sake of playing around. A moment of fun might be interesting, but there will be a swimming exam later. If you don't want to fail because of this, then work hard. Dismissed. Students who don't know how to swim, stay where you are."

"Yes!"

Hoya Chukai belonged to the group that knew how to swim, and he was actually quite good at it.

When he was a child, he liked to play in the river. In high school, due to household registration issues, he had to return to his hometown to attend school, and back then, he loved going to the riverside with his friends.

As for actually learning how to swim, that happened in college. The university had a swimming pool, and physical education was an elective (an elective where you choose a specific sport to study), so he chose swimming for the sake of convenience to get credits.

So, just as he was prepared to get into the water and start having fun, he was suddenly grabbed by the scruff of his neck by fate.

"Hey, you know how to swim, right?"

Ryuen Shoko's terrifying voice came from behind him.

This made his spine turn cold.

Good grief, my dear boss, just let me enjoy the water properly. I haven't played in the water for a long time, and I'm counting on this to stay alive!

"Boss, what's wrong?"

"Do you know the swimming strokes?"

"Uh... yes, I know all four strokes."

"Very good. Teach me."

"?!"

Hoya Chukai looked at Ryuen Shoko in confusion. No, boss, if you don't know how to swim, go find the teacher to learn. Why are you coming to me?

"I know how to swim, but I don't know the strokes. Understand?"

"Oh, so you know how to doggy paddle... ow, ow, ow."

The price for his subconscious response was a punch to the face. Crouching down and clutching his nose, Hoya Chukai finally understood what Ryuen Shoko meant.

Good water sense, but never went through formal training, right?

"Then, boss, why didn't you learn before?"

"I don't like getting in the water."

Ryuen Shoko's answer was simple. She raised her foot and stepped on Hoya Chukai's foot again: "Enough, stop pretending. Don't I know how much force I used? Get up."

"Yes!"

He stood up straight immediately, looking very obedient, but no matter how you looked at it, it seemed like he was just clowning around.

"Stop talking nonsense. Teach me how to swim."

"Understood, understood. Let's go over there to learn."

With the demeanor of a lackey, Hoya Chukai led Ryuen Shoko to a corner of the pool.

He frantically signaled with his eyes for the students swimming nearby to leave. The students weren't lacking in emotional intelligence either; they chatted in twos and threes and gradually moved away from the area without leaving a trace.

These two are going to show off their affection again, hurry up and leave so we don't get targeted by the boss.

Well, perhaps their understanding was a little off, but overall, as long as they could leave correctly, it was fine.

After clearing those people away, Hoya Chukai looked back at Ryuen Shoko: "So, boss, which stroke shall we learn?"

"Whichever is more convenient to learn."

"Got it, freestyle."

It was obvious which of the four swimming strokes to teach; compared to the energy-draining butterfly or the slow-paced breaststroke for beginners, freestyle was the simplest to pick up. Beginners usually learn the breaststroke to better grasp their water sense, as those with poor water sense are too afraid to turn their bodies to breathe in the water, fearing they might choke.

Chapter 44: My Class C Has Its Own Ways (Mid-Autumn Festival Bonus 6/8)

"Right, kick your legs, 1, 2, 3, 4. Very good, one more time, 1, 2, 3, 4."

What is it like to teach Ryuen Shoko how to swim?

Hoya Chukai's answer is—do you know what it's like to open a parasol?

It was fortunate that they were in the water, requiring no other actions, otherwise his proudest asset would have been seen clearly.

His hands were gripping Ryuen Shoko's ankles as he watched her stroke her arms. There isn't much technique to the legwork in freestyle; it's just a matter of kicking up and down.

The trouble lay in the upper body; after the simplest of lessons, Hoya Chukai needed to get her to start adapting to breathing.

The pool wasn't deep, so she could stand to breathe, but this kind of training wasn't specific. After all, when you are actually swimming, your body and the water surface aren't at the same level, and learning how to breathe is essential.

In the past, when Hoya Chukai breathed, he was described as "looking like you're about to drown," because he would stretch his neck out long and tilt his head back desperately.

That was the result of not being accustomed to the water, and it was only after practicing slowly that he gradually learned to breathe more naturally.

And now, he couldn't help but feel the texture of Ryuen Shoko's skin, his mind beginning to wander.

Ryuen Shoko's feet were delicate; he had already felt that many times. Her ankles also felt incredibly fragile. They weren't thick at all; on the contrary, they were quite slender.

If he were bold enough, he could move his hands up to touch her calves, which lacked an ounce of fat, and her full thighs. If he were willing to risk a trip to the emergency room, he could even feel the steepness of her child-bearing hips.

Why did you become so sexy after being gender-bent? (Annoyed).

Others watched the interaction between Ryuen Shoko and Hoya Chukai, secretly whispering in the corners again.

Seeing that Ryuen Shoko had excellent water sense and was definitely not a beginner, they concluded that she was only following Hoya Chukai's lessons to flirt.

Even the boy who had been beaten on the first day touched his face and sighed, never expecting that someone would actually dare to touch a tiger's backside.

This was a figure of speech, of course, not a literal touch; otherwise, even Hoya Chukai wouldn't be leaving the swimming pool alive today.

"Hey, their teaching over there is actually quite interesting."

Compared to the average student, the teacher's gaze was more far-sighted; he could sense the lack of coordination in Ryuen Shoko's practice.

It was clear she was learning a new stroke. As for why she didn't ask him but instead sought out a classmate... that was also quite normal.

They were all high school students, all full of hormones, and boys and girls were incredibly curious about each other, so it was perfectly normal for them to want to understand each other more deeply and start interacting. The teacher, in fact, hoped to see students helping each other.

Hmm, the PE teacher, unaware of the truth, shed tears of emotion in his heart.

"Shiina-san, are you really okay?"

"I am fine!"

Shiina Hiyori was not good at swimming.

And it wasn't just that she wasn't good at swimming; she was also very uncomfortable in the water.

The teacher watched Shiina Hiyori pacing by the edge of the pool and couldn't help but sigh: "You have to believe in yourself, Shiina-san. Don't be afraid. If you don't dare to dive, then just walk down slowly from the edge of the pool. Take your time. The water in that pool is only 1.3 meters deep, don't worry too much, you won't drown."

No matter how shallow the pool, there will always be people who drown. Because once a person panics, their heart becomes chaotic; unless the water is extremely shallow, they will feel uneasy even if they know it isn't deep.

Although swimming would be used in future exams, the teacher knew it was difficult for girls, especially timid ones, to get a feel for the water on the first day. This was something that could only be done slowly.

Most of these girls were obedient, and if they were told to practice more on the weekends, they would basically be able to overcome it. Even if they didn't swim well, they would at least be fine for the exams.

"Yes, I am very sorry."

Listening to the teacher, Shiina Hiyori slowly stepped down from the poolside.

The water in the diving area was 2.2 meters deep, specifically to prevent students from bumping into things while diving. But 2.2 meters was more like a deep pit; after diving and swimming forward, the depth would quickly decrease to 1.3 meters. The school was also worried about danger, which is why only the diving area was that deep.

Additionally, there were teachers watching here, acting as lifeguards; if any student had a problem, they would need to appear immediately.

"Beep!"

As the saying goes, happy times are always short. Soon, a whistle blew, signaling that the class was coming to an end.

This was normal; PE took up two periods, but an hour and a half was only so much time, especially since ten minutes had to be reserved for testing at the end, leaving everyone with only 80 minutes to play.

Hoya Chukai had also spent these 80 minutes in agony.

To be honest, if the girl in front of him had been anyone else—whether it was Kushida, Shiina, or even Ayanokoji—it would have been better than Ryuen Shoko.

Was she beautiful? Truly beautiful; he acknowledged that physiologically.

Was she dangerous? Truly dangerous; he feared that psychologically.

So, when his physiology and psychology were in complete opposition, he would enter a state of torment. It was like rubbing sticks together until they sparked but being unable to ignite a flame; it was truly uncomfortable.

Or perhaps it was like wanting to sleep but being unable to; frustrated, especially frustrated.

"What kind of expression is that?"

The 80 minutes of psychological and physiological torture left Hoya Chukai in a very bad mood. Ryuen Shoko had been practicing diligently the whole time, and only now did she notice Hoya Chukai's expression.

"It's nothing. By the way, you're done with your practice, right?"

"I suppose so, I think it's alright."

Fortunately, in those last few minutes, Hoya Chukai let her try swimming a couple of laps on her own. She was comfortable in the water, so once she grasped the swimming form, swimming itself wasn't much of an issue.

The next problem was tossed to those girls; whether they could successfully throw the race while pretending not to was something they would need to think about carefully.

"Now, I'll start the roll call. The students I call should go prepare to swim. We'll start with the girls first. Ryuen Shoko."

"Here."

"Ibuki Mio."

"Here."

"Manabe Shiho."

"Here."

The teacher called out five female students in one breath, telling them to head over there and prepare to start the race.

Several girls among the group who still didn't really know how to swim didn't need to participate in the race; they just needed to watch from the sidelines.

"Ready... Tweet!"

As the teacher's whistle blew, the five girls jumped into the water and began to swim.

Watching the way these girls were swimming, a look of agony appeared on the teacher's face.

"What is going on with the girls in your class?"

"Teacher, our class has its own unique circumstances, so just turn a blind eye to it, please."

Chapter 45: I Always Feel Like This School Is Up To No Good (Mid-Autumn Festival Bonus 7/8)

Why was the teacher in such agony? It was because it was painfully obvious to him that this group of girls was trying hard to pretend they didn't know how to swim.

Except for Ryuen Shoko.

She knew how to swim, but that was limited to just knowing how. Was she fast? Not really.