Now Everyone Can Relax

"The upper and lower body are very low-exposure, but the abdomen is deliberately covered with semi-transparent gauze, and the skirt also uses a similar double-layer design, creating a hazy and elusive effect, making it a very attractive swimsuit."

"Arisu looks great in it too."

Sakayanagi Arisu herself hadn't expected Kitagawa Ryo to say such a long thing, but she didn't really listen to the middle part, because Kitagawa Ryo's two straightforward compliments at the beginning and end were enough.

Everyone likes to hear nice things; the difference between sincerity and flattery lies only in who says them.

So even Sakayanagi Arisu herself felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't really noticed that her abdomen was partially exposed, but now that Kitagawa Ryo had specifically pointed it out, she became inexplicably concerned. Looking down, she could see her navel and her slender waist:

"If you think it looks good, then it's fine."

No sooner Sakayanagi Arisu speaking than the two saw Ichinose Honami enter the arena.

Kitagawa Ryo's gaze sharpened, and his breath instinctively caught in his throat.

That's definitely a tiger.

Authoritarianism!

Even someone as battle- Kitagawa Ryo can only offer a critique now.

However, Ichinose Honami than Kamuro Masumi from Class 1-A.

The two had another encounter at the start of the school year. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka caught the other person stealing and wanted to use it to blackmail him into becoming his tool, but Kitagawa Ryo, who was waiting in the wings, stopped him.

To be honest, Kamuro Masumi has a lot of problems besides her quirks, slightly poor grades, and awkward personality.

But her physical fitness is absolutely top-notch; among all the girls in the entire grade, she is one of the best.

Otherwise, Katsuragi Kohei wouldn't have brought her into his elite team.

After spotting Kamuro Masumi, Kitagawa Ryo squinted and looked around for a while, but didn't see any trace of Katsuragi Kohei.

His bald head should be quite noticeable.

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was observing the students around him, the outcome of the match was decided in an instant. Kamuro Masumi, with her B+ level physical qualities (on par with Horikita Suzune), quickly defeated Ichinose Honami and successfully advanced to the next round.

And so soon, another person joined Kitagawa Ryo's side.

"I just saw it, Liang was the first couple, right?"

Ichinose Honami still had a bright smile on her face. Perhaps because her swimsuit had gotten sand on it during the fight, she was slightly concerned and pulled it open a little at the chest, gently shaking it up and down.

"Oh, right."

Kitagawa Ryo gave a stiff reply, and soon Ichinose Honami spoke again:

"It looks like I got sand on my head, Liang, can you take a picture of it?"

As she spoke, Ichinose Honami raised her head, her hands restlessly running through her golden-pink hair. Her tone was somewhat confused, and her posture of looking up at Kitagawa Ryo was slightly unfair.

It turns out there are girls in the world who can transform into both a tiger and a dog getting soaked in the rain.

Sakayanagi Arisu sensed that Kitagawa Ryo was about to faint, so she quickly went up to him and said:

"Ichinose, let me swat it off for you."

"But Classmate Sakayanagi isn't tall enough, is she? It looks a bit strange jumping up on tiptoe."

Ichinose Honami declined Sakayanagi Arisu's suggestion with a bright smile.

Then she took Kitagawa Ryo's hand and placed it on her head.

On the other side of the playing field, Horikita Suzune instantly defeated her opponent.

As Kamuro Masumi passed by her, she inexplicably shivered.

The sun had just risen, but it suddenly felt a bit chilly.

[The top three winners of the girls' Beach Flag Capture competition have been determined: 1st place - Horikita Suzune, 2nd place -Kamuro Masumi, 3rd place -Nishino Takeshi. Please come to the teacher in charge to collect your prizes immediately.]

Horikita Suzune walked back step by step, carrying a 2L bottle of drinking water in her hand.

"Looks like I should be eliminated sooner and join you guys?"

Horikita Suzune glanced at the three people who were having a great time (from Horikita Suzune's perspective), and her tone sounded even colder than the large bottle of mineral water she was carrying.

"No, I've been watching Suzune's matches all along."

Kitagawa Ryo quickly raised his hand to prove his innocence.

Horikita Suzune also shook her head. She seemed a little unhappy herself, and was even too lazy to get a paper cup. She directly unscrewed the cap of the large bottle of drinking water in her hand, but she still paid attention to hygiene and took small sips of water, holding it two inches away from her mouth.

She was quite physically exhausted, especially after pushing herself to the limit in each round, desperately trying to finish the task as quickly as possible.

Because she wasn't drinking directly from the bottle, some water naturally slid down her cheeks, down her slender neck, her slightly trembling throat, and into the deeper creases below.

She understands.

No, Suzune probably doesn't understand that... right?

Kitagawa Ryo glanced casually at Horikita Suzune, whose purplish-red eyes were slightly closed, but the unnatural trembling of her eyelashes indicated that she was also observing his reaction.

How did Suzune become like this too!

While lamenting that Horikita Suzune, whom he had once thoroughly fooled, was now resorting to such petty tricks, Kitagawa Ryo, with keen insight, spoke up:

"Suzune's swimsuit really suits her... haha."

Is Liang praising himself when he says that?

Kitagawa Ryo's words made Horikita Suzune stop drinking water. She half-opened one eye and casually replied:

"You bought it for me yourself."

"But clothes ultimately depend on the person wearing them, and it probably has little to do with whether I picked them out or not..."

Kitagawa Ryo felt like he was being pricked by the gazes of Ichinose Honami and Sakayanagi Arisu beside him. He pretended to open his watch and said in a serious tone:

"A new topic has emerged. Now that this topic is finished, let's hurry and head to the next location."

"I've already checked, and everything around us is related to beaches and water, so walking along the coastline in my swimsuit is perfect; it saves me the trouble of changing."

Sakayanagi Arisu's calm and collected remarks ruthlessly shattered Kitagawa Ryo.

"There's an Open Water Swimming activity in the square right next to us, but it's only for boys."

"Liang must be very confident, right?"

[Category: Sports]

[Research Topic: Open Water Swimming]

[Only one person per group is allowed, and only male participants are permitted. The competition will begin once eight people have registered or one hour has elapsed since the topic was announced.]

[First Place: 1200 points, one chance to upgrade a regular card]

[Second Place: 1000 points]

[Third Place: 800 points]

[Participation Prize: 200 points]

This open water swimming competition is 2km long. Although there have been many challenges that require physical ability, the difficulty of this challenge is top-notch compared to previous challenges.

However, precisely because of its high difficulty, the reward points are quite generous, with even the participation prize being 200 points.

However, this is swimming in the sea, which is completely different from swimming in a pool, and the sea is not exactly calm today.

However, since the school dared to launch this project, it means that the area around the water must have been surveyed and cleared beforehand, and there should be lifeguards and lifeboats on standby in the water at any time. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the safety of the participants.

"No problem."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded. He was in excellent physical condition and had several physical talents, so swimming 2km wasn't really a big challenge for him.

Now that they had decided on their destination, the group quickly got to work. However, worried about the girls catching a cold, Kitagawa Ryo made them take a shower (provided free of charge for the beach challenge) and put their clothes back on before heading off.

Because it was indeed quite close, and most of the groups didn't pay much attention to this area, when Kitagawa Ryo's group arrived, there weren't many groups gathered, so they easily signed up.

Swimming 2km in the sea is not something everyone can do. While the high prize money for the top three is tempting, many groups prefer to complete other tasks, perhaps earning more points than the participation prize of 200.

However, Kitagawa Ryo spotted a familiar figure here.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

This was the first time the two had directly clashed over a research project since the start of the Uninhabited Island Exam.

The last Encyclopedia Knowledge Quiz was essentially just everyone doing their own questions, so the sense of competition was so-so.

Inside the changing room, the two silently began to take off their clothes and change into their swim trunks.

Then they both gasped.

For the first time, a look of shock appeared in Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's eyes.

Chapter 146: Now everyone can rest assured.

As the most successful Masterpiece among the Fourth Generation the White Room students and even all the experimental subjects, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka endured the tedium and daily studies that were difficult for ordinary people to understand. All of this was thanks to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's almost superhuman thirst for knowledge.

Every day in the White Room, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka could clearly feel himself growing. The growth itself didn't bring him any joy; rather, it was his curiosity about how far he could grow that kept him exploring his limits.

Whether through physical training or mental learning, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is constantly maturing.

As an infant grows into a toddler, their logical thinking begins to develop, progressing from the sensorimotor stage to the formal operational stage. Then, secondary sexual characteristics begin to develop, and they officially enter puberty.

Because he values his own growth, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka naturally has a thorough understanding of his own body.

After spending a whole semester at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, he had a general understanding of the average abilities of the students in Class A, including academic performance, physical education, and a wide range of other aspects.

All of this was to make him appear more like an ordinary student in Class A. In fact, that was the case. In the eyes of most of his classmates, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was just one of Katsuragi Kohei's followers, similar to Totsuka Yahiko's position.

However, Katsuragi Kohei knew that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had been hiding his abilities, so he had been trying his best to win Ayanokoji Kiyotaka over, hoping that he would do more to consolidate Class A's position.

Since everyone is a high school student, the only way to win them over is through a combination of meals, karaoke, and shopping. But Katsuragi Kohei isn't Kushida Kikyo, so it's unrealistic to expect him to liven up the atmosphere at a karaoke bar.

So Katsuragi Kohei came up with the idea of taking a bath.

Although the students' dormitories are equipped with private bathrooms, they are small and are standard bathroom-shower units that only allow for showering. Therefore, there are also public bathrooms on campus, since bathing is a very important part of life for many Japan.

During several bathing sessions with Katsuragi Kohei's group, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka gradually began to realize some things.

In some ways, he made the same mistake as the frog in the well, but the nature of his mistake was different. After all, judging from the outcome, he should be the one laughing at him from the outside.

However, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka finally encountered a worthy opponent again today.

If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had stumbled upon this scene right after emerging from the White Room, he would likely have developed a profound misunderstanding of the normal human size.

Fortunately, he already knew the average value.

However, this only surprised Ayanokoji Kiyotaka even more.

Meanwhile, Kitagawa Ryo was also pondering some random, strange thoughts.

Especially considering that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's biological father, Ayanokoji Atsuomi, and that he used the money he earned as a male host to accumulate his first political capital, it didn't seem so surprising.

Perhaps this is due to family tradition.

As other participating students gradually entered, and the atmosphere in the changing room where they were staring at each other's private parts felt unsettling, the two quickly and tacitly looked away, and then simultaneously changed into loose, oversized swim trunks.

The number of people who signed up for this project was even smaller than expected. By the time the registration deadline arrived, only six groups had successfully registered to participate. Each group had one student, and the six participating students were standing at the starting line doing warm-up exercises in preparation for the start.

What bothered Kitagawa Ryo was the absence of Ken Sudō's group. Considering they had just participated in the [Beach Flag Capture] challenge, they shouldn't be too far away. Perhaps they gave up on the [Open Water Swimming] challenge because they felt it wasn't worth the effort?

Yamada Albert and Miyake Akito are both mediocre swimmers. Ken Sudō is very strong, but only in short distances. After all, he specializes in basketball, not swimming. He can gain an advantage in the pool with his superhuman strength and explosiveness, but that may not be the case in the sea.

However, they did run into some familiar faces. Katsuragi Kohei's team from Class 1-A also came here, but they sent Hirata Yosuke as their participant. Although Katsuragi Kohei looks very big, his athletic ability is actually just average.

As a key player in the soccer club, Hirata Yosuke's physical attributes are beyond question. He is a slender athlete who looks thin in clothes but has a muscular build underneath. His muscles are not the kind that are visibly developed, but he has excellent explosive power and endurance.

Since each group can only send one person to participate, and the project does seem to be quite risky, most of the other members of the participating groups did not rush to leave for other squares, but stayed on the shore to cheer on their team members.

Considering the long distance involved, five minutes before the official start of the competition, the teacher in charge had already signaled to the participants, including Kitagawa Ryo, that they could get into the water to acclimatize to the temperature and do some preparation.

Unlike the stagnant water of a swimming pool, almost half of the six people had never swum in the sea before. After feeling the power of the ocean, their expressions changed. They could only try their best to maintain their balance in wave after wave. If they could not adjust in time, it seemed that even getting off to a stop would be difficult.

The lifeboat also took the opportunity to approach, and the lifeguards in bright yellow life suits gripped the side of the boat, seemingly ready to provide immediate assistance.

On the distant shore, although the situation was not clearly visible due to the distance, most of the students sensed that something was wrong and discussed it among themselves in hushed tones.

"It's alright, you're in good condition."

As soon as Horikita Suzune heard Sakayanagi Arisu's confident speech, she turned her head and saw the girl holding a small pair of binoculars. She smiled and said...

"... Where did you get your telescope?"